Speech & Drama and Public Speaking
Drama plays a vital role in helping our pupils to gain confidence and to develop their imagination and communication skills.
There are a number of dramatic performances throughout the year.
Assemblies and workshops also provide more opportunities for pupils to unleash their dramatic flair and build every child’s confidence.
Rathdown School offers Speech & Drama and Public Speaking as an optional extra subject. We follow The Leinster School of Music and Drama syllabus, based in Dublin’s Griffith College. If, for any reason, a student wishes to follow another syllabus, we can accommodate that requirement.
Speech & Drama
Speech & Drama is taught in small groups at different times each week. This course builds and develops each student’s confidence, self-esteem, social skills and ability to converse. It teaches empathy, giving students opportunities to experience the world from perspectives outside their own. Students find new ways to create and express through the study of poetry, prose, scripted Drama, mime, debates and improvisation. Through these mediums, students develop accurate diction, presentation and communication skills and reading ability.
As well as the Speech & Drama course, students may also elect to study Solo Acting grades or Duologue Acting grades.
Public Speaking
Public Speaking is taught in small groups at different times each week. These classes enable students to overcome the fear of speaking in public or even reading in class. The syllabus instructs students on how to communicate ideas and present them in an organised and coherent manner.
Writing a speech requires research, organisation of material and preparation for presentation. Through poetry, prose, reading aloud, debates and delivering speeches, (extempore, persuasive, social and argumentative), language skills progress significantly and students benefit from an improvement in interpersonal skills and a growth in their own ability and confidence.
Students are presented with many opportunities to read, write and speak aloud, which obviously increases their grammar, vocabulary and communication abilities, therefore these classes prove very popular and advantageous for our International students.
As well as the Public Speaking course, students may also elect to study the Effective Communication course.
Students attend one period per week, for a total of 30 lessons in the year, and are taught in small groups of 2-4 students. During the first few classes, students will get a flavour of each of the disciplines and then decide which course and syllabus they wish to follow.
Should you have any enquiries, please contact sdevlin@rathdownschool.ie