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Matthew Bright David Okorie - My Blog
Matthew Bright David Okorie - My Blog




Public Speaking Training for Nigerian University Students
Related to country: Nigeria

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Employers expect to hire university graduates who have the skills and knowledge they need to excel in the workplace. Nigerian University graduates fell short in effective communication skills
While strong verbal skills are ranked as most important to employers,
Nigerian University education doesn’t provide the medium for improvement
Of public speaking skills among students. Over seven years of running private training for Nigerian university students my finding shows that public speaking is one the areas
Nigerian university students find difficulty to cope.
My finding agree with the findings of Dabalen et al (2000) who in their World Bank report scored Nigerian graduates low in English Language. They stated that the 22% unemployment rate in the metropolitan areas in Nigeria is as a result of poor quality of the graduates, particularly in the communication skills. According to them, these graduates exhibit "poor abilities in the oral and written expression in English Language. The world Bank also reported that university education in Nigeria has degenerated in the past 15 to 16 years. The shocking news which was reported as one of the lead headlines in The Guardian, one of Nigeria's major daily newspapers, was published on the 19th of February, 2001. The screaming headline reads; "World Bank report scores Nigerian graduates low" The Guardian Newspapers quoted the World Bank sponsored study that; "Nigeria University graduates are poorly trained and unproductive on the job.... Graduate skills have steadily deteriorated over the past decade" (p. 1). According to the report, the poor performance of Nigerian graduates is particularly evident in two areas; poor mastery of the English Language and lack of requisite technical skill. It was ascertained in the report that the deficiencies in both vital areas make Nigerian graduates of the past fifteen years unfit for the labour market, and sometimes the larger society. Shortcomings were particularly observed in oral and written communication, and applied technical skills.
The former Minister of Education, in her presentation she called “CRISES” at the Presidential Forum on Education on Saturday, 28 October 2006, said that 7 out of every 10 graduates are UNEMPLOYABLE”. The reason being that communication skills which is fundamental in social and business environment is lacking among university graduates.
Though, all students admitted into the universities in Nigeria are encouraged to take few courses in the use of English, the content of these English courses are grossly inadequate for the students to acquire requisite skills in effective use of language for communication and for the give and take of social experience. In order to be effective in public speaking
Situations Nigerian university student must be introduced to public speaking courses
.In developed countries, the basic course in communication skills is an integral part of the college and university curriculum--instruction in speaking and listening competencies is one of the essential features of a minimum required curriculum for a coherent undergraduate education (Ford and Wolvin, 1993). (Eolutosin , 2006)
By taking a public speaking course, students will master the skills required in the current Global landscape. Today, with a 24-hour news cycle, hundreds of television stations, and massive amounts of information on the Internet, the need to be able to speak clearly and effectively is greater than ever, public speaking skills are vital to our success. Seminar presentation, project defense, pitching an idea to an organization, or acquitting yourself well at an important social function are all situations in which we daily experience the need to express clear, organized thoughts that will help create serious interest in our ideas and opinions.
A public speaking course can help students identify how to be assertive without being aggressive.
The communication skills developed via public speaking also tend to be transferable. When one develops stronger public speaking skills, they may also notice an increased ability to communicate in general. Interpersonal communication improves, which can be a tremendous benefit in all areas of one’s life.



PROSPECTS

This programme is designed to make students become more attractive job candidates.
It will help them speak with greater confidence and conviction and communicate more effectively in both a business and social environment
It will impacts on students' personal, academic, and professional lives.
Goals
To develop speakers who use the English language effectively and who, speak and listen critically.
To improve students vocal skills and enhance their personal impact.
To develop leaders who meet up with global challenges of the 21ST CENTURY
To revive the interest in public speaking among students.
To give students the opportunity of practicing public speaking.
To help students acquire basic skills of public speaking.
To provide a medium where students practice basic communication with a large audience
To give students practical experience in public speaking

As a base, all students should complete introductory communication requirements early in their collegiate studies.
Most colleges and universities in developed countries offer courses in public speaking. Some of them even make it mandatory, because it is seen as such an essential part of going out and succeeding in the real world. What is the worth of a graduate if he freezes up any time he talks to a group or speak out at a meeting?
To Some students speaking in public is hard, standing up in front of a group, commanding attention while you talk. Can be intimidating for those who lack the basic skills and experience.


PLAN ACTIONS

In the training sessions, our instructors effectively clarify the rationale for how basic public speaking course content is useful in "real life"
The instructors connects the public speaking skills and applying these skills in real life situations.


Course Contents
1. The qualities of a good public speaker
2. The art of communication
3. How to speak in public with confidence
4. Understanding the importance of Analysis to gain confidence
a. Audience variables
b. Audience analysis
5 Speech idea
a. Knowing criteria for a good speech idea
b. Knowing how to develop a good speech idea
c. Knowing how to narrow you’re your speech idea
6. Speaking to get result
a. Understanding the needs of your audience
b. Discovering your objective
7. Researching and supporting a thesis in speech communication
Researching the sources personal resources
a. Interview resources
b. Print resources
c. Non print resources
8. Effective
9. Preparing a debate
10. Supporting materials
11. Organizing and outlining speech communication
a. Organizing the speech
1. Introduction components
2. Body components and organization
3. Conclusion components
B. Outlining the speech
1. Applying outlining principles
2. Drafting the outline
Preparing the delivery; a speech communication
a. Ethical considerations.
b. Language development
1. Verbal
2. Non verbal
12. Delivering a speech communication
a. Types of delivery
b. Effective vocal delivery
c. Effective physical delivery
d. Confidence in speech therapy
1. Controlling nervousness
2. Using feedback to enhance
13. Speaking to inform
a. Defining informative speeches
b. Types of informative speeches
c. Preparing informative speeches
d. Presenting informative speeches
e. Evaluating informative speeches
x. Speaking to persuade
a. Defining persuasive speaking
b. Types of persuasive speeches
c. Determining types of persuasive propositions
d. Preparing persuasive speeches
e. Presenting persuasive speeches
f. Evaluating persuasive speeches
14. Speaking to get result
15. Speech analysis
Course Assignments: students are required to present a minimum of a speech every week. Critiques for each speech will consider, among other things, the effectiveness of the message, delivery and organization. A speech outline and bibliography are to be submitted to the instructor at the time each speech is presented. The outline and bibliography, as well as the speech itself will provide the basis for the evaluation of each speech assignment. It is expected that students will prepare and research their speeches using and citing a variety of sources (including, but not limited to, newspaper, magazines, journals, books, web sites, etc.). Additionally, speeches will be evaluated, in part, on the student’s ability to present within the designated time limits given by the instructor. Instructors will provide a more complete explanation of each speech assignment in advance of its preparation and presentation (the order of speeches may vary in each section). Speaking schedules for the designated days of the individual speech assignments will also be announced in advance; a rotating system of scheduling will be used.







Nigerian Universities Debating Council is a non Governmenta and educationall organization , which organizes and coordinates activities to promote and increase debate and public speaking in and among schools and Universities in Nigeria. This association was founded in June, 2007, by Matthew Bright David Okorie(Mabrig) A Public Speaking Tutor/Coach who based at University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Starting in JULY 2007 , the Association began having debates in school hostels and public building at University of Nigeria
NUDC provides the following training for Nigerian Universities.
Public speaking Training for university students
Debate training for universities in Nigeria
Support in setting up debate clubs and events in universities
Guidelines on the rules and procedures of debating championship
Training for adjudicators
Leadership Training
For more information, please contact us on mabrigchike@yahoo.com or call +234-8059273623
Matthew Bright David Okorie
Founder/CEO:-
Nigerian Universities Debating Council
Debate and Development organization of Nigeria
Ekpo Ref. University of Nigeria,Nsukka