One of the qualities that make a successful leader is the ability to communicate well. Here at Tanglin, we nurture our students to do just that with initiatives such as the English Speaking Board (ESB) examinations at the Junior School. How did it all begin? Jessica Cheung, ESB leader and Year 6 teacher, shares more about the ESB initiative.

Public speaking skills and the ability to communicate with the utmost confidence are integral to the success of our students as aspiring future leaders. The English Speaking Board (ESB) and their examinations provide structure and a clear progression in public speaking skills across the Junior School. The programme was first introduced by Mrs Harrington-Wilcox, Head of the Junior School, and Mr O’Brien, then Head of Junior English (now Deputy Head of Pastoral at the Junior School). They had identified speaking and listening as an area for development and discovered that the ESB examinations provided an opportunity for children to take part in high quality, accredited qualifications, which would have a lasting impact on their future success.

ESB was initially introduced in Year 3 and 4 before becoming embedded to complement our curriculum from Year 3 to Year 6. As our relationship with ESB grows, we have seen the award and our approach evolve, with our students consistently achieving outstanding results. At Tanglin, we are committed to empowering our students with the skills and proficiency needed for excellent speaking, and so we offer full payment for all Year 3 children, upon entry to the Junior School, to participate in the award and launch their journey to becoming exemplary public speakers and communicators.

What is the programme about?
The programme progresses from reciting poetry and reading aloud, to presenting on an area of interest from their school curriculum and building persuasive arguments. It culminates in children carrying out their own research to participate in a formal debate with their peers in Year 6 at the end of their time in Junior School.

What kind of skills do children learn during the programme?
Children engage in questioning and discussion with their peers as part of each examination. Developing their public speaking and presentation skills focuses on their ability to project, clearly enunciate and connect with their audience while the questioning element ensures their development in responding to others and listening with the intention to debate and discuss. One of the most valuable aspects of the programme is actually in the preparation where children learn about the importance of structure, research and the planning process of building a presentation.

How do Tanglin children benefit from the programme?
As the first school in Asia to offer the ESB award, we have been able to grow the programme and continually raise our standards of speaking and listening. The level of maturity our children convey in communications both with their peers and with adults, as well as their confidence in articulating their learning, is incredibly impressive. New members of staff and parents often comment on how beautifully our students express themselves and we believe that our commitment to the progression of our speaking and listening, alongside the ESB examinations, are significant factors in achieving this.