The most popular LAMDA exams studied by students are Acting, Speaking Verse and Prose, and Speaking in Public. While you might assume that only the Speaking in Public exam improves public speaking, all of these exams teach the essential skills to become a masterful communicator.
Acting Exams
In Acting exams, students present scenes to an examiner, convincingly living within imagined circumstances. The actor’s primary task is to be heard clearly. The actor also needs to deliver their lines as if they are being said for the first time. If they do this, the effect on the audience is electric – the words appear to be spontaneous, and the audience hangs on their every word.
Additionally, acting develops total body awareness, so that you communicate not just with your voice but your entire being. Public speakers often make the mistake of communicating only from the neck up.
Acting is about the other person—both the scene partner and the audience. Keeping this in mind is crucial when crafting any story or message. Ultimately, the purpose of performing or presenting is to serve the audience.
Speaking Verse and Prose Exams
In these exams, students present poetry (verse) and, from Grade 2, text (prose) from novels. The examiner looks for authentic and truthful communication of the writer’s intentions.
Students encounter diverse characters and stories, broadening their perspectives and empathy. They must lift words off the page and breathe life into them, making an emotional impact on the audience. As in Acting exams, students need to speak with total clarity and spontaneity.
Speaking Verse and Prose exams teach storytelling, which is a key public speaking skill. Students must guide the audience on a journey and keep them engaged throughout.
Speaking in Public Exams
In Speaking in Public exams, students write and present their own speeches, learning to use language effectively to communicate clearly and persuasively.
LAMDA recently updated their teacher support resources to recommend that students avoid writing out their speeches in full. This encourages them to use brief notes, promoting full contact with the audience and spontaneity in delivery. Speeches should be spoken, not read, and evolve with each presentation. Reading from a script or PowerPoint results in a lifeless presentation.
Like the other exams, Speaking in Public requires students to craft their presentations with the audience in mind. For example, when speaking about climate change to a company known for pollution, it’s crucial to consider how to bring the audience on side, choosing appropriate language and addressing their perspective.
Diverse Routes to Public Speaking Mastery
Acting, Speaking Verse and Prose, and Speaking in Public offer different paths to mastering public speaking. These LAMDA exams teach students to communicate clearly, embrace the present moment, feel at ease in front of an audience, and speak with spontaneity.
Learning these important life skills enable individuals to present themselves confidently to any audience, anywhere.
Are you or your child looking to gain important lifelong skills through studying LAMDA? Get in touch or call +44 (0)20 8064 0549.
