South Africa Students and Singapore Students Connect Through an Inaugural Debate Exchange

Public speaking is more than speaking confidently in front of an audience. It is also about learning to listen, understand different perspectives and communicate ideas thoughtfully.

Recently, Speech Academy Asia (SAA) brought these skills to an international stage through our inaugural virtual debate exchange with South Africa students, connecting young speakers from South Africa and Singapore through Zoom.

While SAA students gathered at our Speech Academy Asia HQ Auditorium in Singapore, the South Africa students joined from their own country. Parents and other students were also part of the audience in the auditorium, creating an encouraging environment for the young speakers to share their ideas.

The exchange gave students the opportunity to practise debating, think critically and learn from peers from another country, while building confidence through meaningful conversations.

Connecting South Africa Students and Singapore Students Through Debate

International learning experiences can help students see beyond their own classrooms and communities. By debating alongside peers from another country, students are exposed to different perspectives and ways of approaching an issue.

For this exchange, students from both countries took part in debates based on topics suited to their age groups. The discussions encouraged participants to organise their thoughts, present arguments clearly and respond to opposing viewpoints.

The exchange featured two debate topics:

Ages 12–16: Developed Countries Should Do More to Combat Climate Change

For the older students, the debate focused on climate change and the responsibility of developed countries.

🇿🇦 Proposition: South Africa students
🇸🇬 Opposition: SAA students

The topic challenged students to consider a complex global issue from different perspectives. Rather than simply presenting an opinion, participants had to build structured arguments and respond to the points raised by the opposing team.

Debating topics such as climate change can also encourage students to think about how global issues affect different communities and countries.

Ages 9–11: Video Games Can Be Educational

Younger students explored a topic that is much closer to their everyday experiences: whether video games can be educational.

🇸🇬 Proposition: SAA students
🇿🇦 Opposition: South Africa students

The topic gave students an accessible way to practise expressing opinions, giving reasons and considering an opposing point of view.

For younger speakers, experiences like these can make public speaking and debating more engaging while helping them develop communication skills in a supportive environment.

A Virtual Exchange That Connected Two Countries

Although the students were in different countries, the virtual format allowed them to participate in the same debate experience.

The SAA students presented from the HQ Auditorium, where parents and other students watched and supported the session. Meanwhile, the South Africa students joined through Zoom from their own country.

This setup gave students the opportunity to practise speaking to an international audience while learning alongside peers from another part of the world.

For the South Africa students and Singapore students involved, the exchange was not simply about winning a debate. It was an opportunity to learn from one another.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

While students may learn debating techniques in a classroom setting, an international exchange adds another dimension to the experience. Students have to communicate with people they may not have met before, listen carefully to different viewpoints and adapt their communication accordingly.

Through activities like these, students can develop skills such as:

• Critical thinking – evaluating ideas and considering different perspectives

• Communication – expressing thoughts clearly and effectively

• Confidence – speaking in front of an audience and responding to questions

• Active listening – understanding and responding to opposing viewpoints

• Teamwork – preparing and presenting arguments as a team

• Global awareness – learning about perspectives beyond their own community

These are valuable skills that students can apply both inside and outside the classroom.

Building Confidence Through International Experiences

For young speakers, stepping into a debate can be challenging. Students need to think on their feet, organise their ideas and communicate them clearly, often while responding to an opposing team.

A virtual international debate exchange provides an additional opportunity to practise these skills in a new environment.

By interacting with South Africa students, SAA students were able to experience a different style of debate while putting their own public speaking skills into practice.

The supportive audience at the HQ Auditorium also helped create an encouraging space for students to share their ideas and take part in the experience.

A Special Thank You to Our Debate Judge

We would also like to extend a special thank you to Lukas Seet, Co-Founder and Director of Speech Academy Asia, for joining the exchange as the Debate Judge.

His involvement helped make the session a meaningful learning experience for the participating students, providing an opportunity for young speakers to put their debating skills into practice.

Encouraging Global Learning Through Public Speaking

At Speech Academy Asia, we believe that public speaking education can extend beyond traditional classroom activities.

Opportunities such as virtual international debate exchanges allow students to use their communication skills in authentic situations while learning alongside peers from different backgrounds.

The exchange between South Africa students and Singapore students was a meaningful step towards encouraging global learning, critical thinking and confident communication among young speakers.

Most importantly, our students had a great time learning, thinking critically and putting their debating skills into practice.

We look forward to creating more opportunities for young speakers to connect, communicate and learn from one another across borders. 🌍🎤

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