The course is taught as a workshop and develops the oral and public speaking skills that future interpreters and translators need. Students practise systematically, individually and in groups, across different genres of public speech: short talks, presentations, impromptu speaking, storytelling, argumentation and rebuttal. Work focuses on voice, articulation, pace, posture, speech structure, audience adaptation and anxiety management. Continuous practice, video recording of exercises, and feedback from peers and the instructor lead to measurable, critically grounded improvement in communicative competence.

Upon completion, students will be able to:

• plan and deliver structured speech adapted to audience and occasion;
• control voice, articulation, pace and non-verbal communication;
• argue and rebut with supporting evidence in a debate format;
• improvise and manage anxiety and unexpected situations;
• give and receive constructive feedback;
• work in teams and use AI tools responsibly for preparation and self-assessment.

• Principles of rhetoric and public speaking
• Voice, articulation, breathing, pace
• Non-verbal communication and stage presence
• Speech structure and design
• Storytelling and improvisation
• Argumentation and rebuttal
• Oxford-style debate
• Anxiety management and feedback

• Αριστοτέλης, Ρητορική
• Lucas, S. E., The Art of Public Speaking (McGraw-Hill).
• Anderson, C. (2016). TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
• Reynolds, G., Presentation Zen (New Riders,).
• Snider, A. & Schnurer, M. (2002). Many Sides: Debate Across the Curriculum. International Debate Education Association.

Face to face teaching. The course’s duration is two hours. It is offered exclusively to students of the Interpreting studies and is delivered by lecture. Exercises for understanding and applying the theoretical knowledge are used throughout the course, which include the projection and analysis of audiovisual aids (of up to 20-minute duration) from the Internet. This method successfully combines background knowledge and everyday experience for the best possible comprehension of the oral speech techniques.

Workshop, practical exercises, video recording, feedback, AI chatbots.

Continuous participation in semester exercises. Final assessment through a group video-recorded Oxford-style debate and an individual speech.