Frequently Asked Questions
In their first year students develop presentation skills that include: English pronunciation and articulation, proper use of emphasis, gestures, pace, and volume, and professional conversation techniques
The first term begins the week of September 25th and goes until the week of December 11th. For any classes that need to be rescheduled we will have makeup classes from on December 18 -20. Term 2 will begin the week of January 8th.
Group classes are 70-minutes/Individual classes are 40-minutes. Each term is 12 weeks in length
Students should have a pen and paper to take notes, the The Speech School Student Handbook, a copy of their piece that they are rehearsing, and a quiet place to concentrate.
All of our instructors are University educated in a relevant field (i.e. Communications, Theatre, Education, English, Speech Pathology). As well our instructors have experience as educators, performers, or public speakers.
The same curriculum is applied to both the group and individual classes. The only difference is the length of time (70min group class vs. 40min individual class). The group classes can host up to four students so that there is still ample opportunity for every child to get the coaching and practice that he or she needs.
We will except students for term 1 until October 9th, then we will only take students for Term 2 registration.
If your son or daughter can’t attend a class we ask they you let us know at least two hours in advance. We will then reschedule the class at the end of the term. However, please note that we can only reschedule one class per term.
We are more than happy to have parents watch each class, however, for some students they perform better without many people watching so we encourage parents to watch the performances, which take place every four weeks.
Unfortunately we are unable to change times in the middle of the term. However, if your son or daughter is having trouble attending class please contact us and we can figure out a solution that works best for everyone involved.
In order to have the best class experience we strongly recommend that students find a quiet space to attend the class. It doesn’t necessarily need to be at home but they should have a quiet area with a strong Internet connection where the student feels comfortable performing and speaking out loud.
Course Breakdown
The Speech School courses consist of three segments that are designed to improve a student’s confidence, develop their articulation and pronunciation in English, and build their public speaking skills.
A portion of each class will be devoted to activities and games that are specifically designed to develop a student’s communication skills. The Speech School has a collection of over 100 activities, ranging in difficulty that can be customized to each student’s English level.
At the start of every class instructors introduce conversation topics that will encourage the student to describe areas of his or her life. The goal is to be able to articulate their interests in clear manner. Students are encouraged to answer each question in complete sentences and give adequate detail in their response.
The majority of each class will be spent rehearsing age appropriate poetry or children’s literature. After each 4-week period, the student will receive a new piece to practice. The Speech School uses pieces approved by Royal Conservatory of Music and Literature, which are designed to fit a student’s English grade level. At the end of each 12-week term parents will be given an opportunity to watch their child perform.