Whether you plan to try out for debate this year, or just want to converse more convincingly, working on your persuasive speaking is always a good idea. Understanding how we compose and deliver persuasive language may help you win a discussion with your parents, but there are even more benefits than you may expect. Here are our top reasons why you should work on mastering the art of rhetorics:

You may not expect it, but by improving your grasp of rhetorics (the art of persuasive speaking), you will also improve your reading skills. Being able to convincingly read passages out loud with the correct emphasis improves reading ability overall. To see where your reading fluency is at, try reading a passage out loud to the [Lumos Reading Fluency Analyzer].

Deliver crisp speeches and presentations

Do you dread classes that assess you on public speaking? It may be scary, but giving speeches is a skill that is easily improved. Practice reading passages aloud, and soon you will start to naturally create emphasis and pace that supports whatever you are speaking about. This means that when an assessment comes up, you will be well-practiced, not shy, and ready to ace it!

Prepare for moot court or MUN debates

Once you have basic public speaking mastered, you can start to plan where your new skill may take you. Moot court, MUNs, and your school debate team are all great ways to flex your skills of persuasion and are of course great activities to have on your college application. Sometimes it is easy to forget that reading, writing, and speaking are all connected, which is why mastering rhetorics is an important skill to connect them all. By improving your composition and delivery of language, you are honing advanced language skills that will last you a lifetime.