Debating and Public Speaking at Langley

Even in lockdown the show must go on and we’re delighted that the Regional Finals of the English Speaking Union Mace Debating Competition and Public Speaking Competition occurred this term, with great performances by Langley in both events. Our Sixth Form team in the Mace competition was led by Jessica, our Cambridge-bound President of Debating, and involved a ‘baptism of fire’ for Dillon in Lower Sixth and Asa in Year 10. ‘Proposing the preservation of the economy as a priority during the COVID Pandemic’ provided a heated debate about whether this should be our primary concern.

Just two weeks later, Asa was back in action, delivering a strong speech and answering questions on ‘Whether History classes should teach racially sensitive topics.’ After winning the coveted Best Speaker award last year, Asa performed well but was pipped to the post by a student two-years his senior. His team of Alex and Rodrigo (Chair and Questioner respectively) also improved on their performances last year, gaining high rankings from the judges. The youngest team in the competition, made up of Lily-Anne, Sophie and Cameron also did superbly in their first ‘outing,’ growing in confidence as the competition wore on.

In March, two teams will take part in the Regional Finals of the Rotary Competition, providing Jessica with her ‘Swan-song,’ as well as giving Asa and Cameron another opportunity to hone their skills in this most important of areas. Furthermore, after half-term, a Public Speaking activity will begin on a Wednesday afternoon, allowing students of all age groups to work on their skillsets and prepare for a House Public Speaking Competition in the Trinity Term.