English-Speaking Union of New South Wales

Young voices, global impact. 🇩🇰🇬🇧

19-year-old Peter Nyvold Bojsen-Møller’s journey to the ESU International Public Speaking Competition (IPSC) shows how empowering young people to debate, question and speak up strengthens democracy and builds an international community of understanding. Read his story and why discussion and debate are “essential for our society and for our democracy as a whole”.

https://bit.ly/40400U0

‘Discussion and debate are essential for our society and for our democracy as a whole. Teaching young people that is probably one of the most valuable things we can do’ | ESU Peter Nyvold Bojsen-Møller, from Denmark, tells us about his experience of the International Public Speaking Competition

New book alert! 🚨

Last summer our Director of Education, Louisa Searle, worked together with bsmall to help produce How to Speak and Be Heard, an oracy book for young learners.

Providing practical tips for how students can use their voice to make the world a better place, the book is an essential tool for anyone looking to expand their oracy offering in the classroom and beyond.

And it is available to buy now! Get your copy at https://bsmall.co.uk/product/how-to-speak-and-be-heard

Congratulations to the first group of schools that have made it through to the regional finals of our ESU Public Speaking Competition! 👏

And a big thank you to all the teachers and ESU volunteers who make these opportunities possible, we couldn't do it without you. 🌟

More results to be announced soon, keep watching this space! 👀

How to raise kids who can handle hard things Could exposing kids to their fears help them thrive later on in life? Exploring the science of exposure therapy, pediatric psychologist Kathryn Hecht shows how encouraging children to handle discomfort builds confidence and resilience. Through personal stories and practical strategies, she shares th...

We’re recruiting Oracy Leaders for July 2026! 🌍

We're looking for individuals to support our International Public Speaking Competition and International Council Meeting in London.

You’ll play a key role in welcoming young people and international delegates, delivering public speaking workshops and helping create a memorable week of cultural exchange and oracy education.

🔗 Find out more: https://www.esu.org/work-with-us/
⏰ Deadline: Sunday 8 February

'What’s been so amazing is seeing their confidence and self-belief grow.'

Join us as we catch-up with Ben Willis, Head of English at Fallibroome Academy in Macclesfield, Cheshire, to find out why he’ll always enter his students for the ESU Schools’ Mace Debating Competition.

Read the full story on our website: www.esu.org/news-and-views/

Happy New Year! 🎆

2026 brings new conversations, new ideas and new opportunities for young people to develop their voice. As we begin the year ahead, we’re grateful to everyone who supports the work of the ESU and helps us champion confident communication, critical thinking and respectful debate. We wish you a very happy new year. 🎉

#2026