Moulding confident, independent public speakers

Second row, fourth from left: Chairperson of CMLL Dr Nadya Supian, Saraswathy Thurairaj, Zachary, Maxwell Sim and Anthony with organising committee and participants

“English Day 2019” was organised by the Faculty of Creative Industries (FCI) Department of Modern Languages in collaboration with Centre for Modern Languages and Literature (CMLL) and Sungai Long Campus Drama and Public Speaking Society on 17 July 2019 at UTAR Sungai Long Campus.

A public speaking competition was held in conjunction with the event. It was modelled on the Toastmaster’s public speaking style which has been the main highlight of the event.

The event saw the presence of FCI Acting Dean Thinavan Periyayya, Faculty of Accountancy and Management Dean Dr Sia Bee Chuan, FCI Head of Department of Modern Languages Maxwell Sim Yik Seng, UTAR staff and students. It also witnessed the presence of 26 delegates from Guangxi University, China. Invited to be the judges for the public speaking competition were Chief Judge Zachary Roland A.F. Anthony, Anthony Gandolfo Miranti Jr and Saraswathy Thurairaj.

Thinavan encouraging people to speak English

Thinavan encouraged the audience to speak the English language more often to build self-confidence. “When I was young, there were a few things that my teacher taught me to do every day to improve my English; learn five words per day, write five sentences based on the words that I have learnt and figure out its grammar, write a new sentence for each word and use it with my friends. As an outcome, I managed to win the first prize in a contest. Merely attending English classes alone will not really to improve your language but you must go beyond that, you need to read and write as much as possible.”

Maxwell Sim emphasising the importance of equipping public speaking skills

Maxwell Sim said in his welcome remarks, “Public speaking is an important skill that we have to equip ourselves with. It is not only important for your study but it is also important when you step into the working industry. Public speaking skills enable one to convey their message effectively. Besides, it is also important to have a good presentation skill to persuade people about your products and services. This may also help to build self-credibility through your presentation.”

Maxwell Sim (left) presenting a token of appreciation to Thinavan

The competition saw 13 participants taking part in public speaking. Each participant was given two minutes to present the topic “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” and one minute for the judges to evaluate the participant.

The champion of the competition walked away with RM300, while the first, second, third and fourth runners-up walked away with RM200, RM150, RM100 and RM50 respectively. Besides, all participants received a certificate of participation.

Zachary (right) presenting the cash prizes to (clockwise, from left) Syamini, Chee, Deneshwaran, Gina and Pang

The result of the competition is as follows: 

When asked, the Champion of the Public Speaking Competition Syamini said, “This is my first time participating in a public speaking competition. I felt shocked and surprised when they announced the Champion because I wasn’t sure if I was going to win.” She then continued, “In my opinion, public speaking is very relevant especially for our studies because every semester we have assignment presentation. If we keep improving ourselves in public speaking, it will help to build our self-confidence. Moreover, public speaking is also important for our future. We need to know how to speak to our clients and sell our products or services to them. I would encourage my juniors to participate in this competition because it is important for them to learn to speak in front of people.”

Skit by Sungai Long Campus Drama and Public Speaking Society

Dr Nadya Supian (left) presenting a token of appreciation to the judges (clockwise, from left) Zachary, Anthony and Saraswathy