National Online Public Speaking Competition (Ages 6-12)

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Do you have that child who loves to talk and is quite assertive? Let’s transform that Talker to a Speaker!

Here’s an opportunity to equip your child with life skills to be able to stand up and speak with confidence and poise. Skills learnt will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Many Parent focus on developing only the academics, and spending tons of monies on other hobbies like playing the piano, singing, dancing, and karate; yet never realise how critical building confidence, developing communication and effective public speaking skills are to a child.

Public speaking skills help fine-tune everyday verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Children who master public speaking early perform better all through life.

Here are just a few reasons you should register your child for this Workshop.

  1. It is beyond the competition. Even if your child does not win, he/she would have learnt a great deal about Public Speaking and would have grown confidence along the way. He/she would have gained positive exposure in the art of rhetoric. A great experience is what your child exactly needs so he or she can confidently voice out her thoughts with ease.
  2. Your child will gain great friends with mutual interest in a positive learning environment. Being well-acquainted with talented and bright children will further inspire your child to celebrate his or her own greatness as well.
  3. This experience will enable your child  have lasting real-world skills essential for a person to have effective communication skills especially at work.
  4. This opportunity will give your child a great start in life.
  5. Your child would have developed robust vocabulary and grammatical accuracy.
  6. They will be taught the ability to think on their feet by making them give extempore speeches and performances.

At the end of the workshop, the children will have learnt to:

  1. Introduce themselves with confidence
  2. Engage with other children and communicate freely, assertively and respectfully about a concept or an idea.
  3. Speak Eloquently in the right diction and with the right stress placement and inflection.
  4. Research, prepare and structure a speech in an internationally acceptable manner.
  5. Give constructive feedback as ‘feedback’ is an art. So, the participants will also learn to use empathy and show others that they as well, have difficulties with public speaking. I will be there to guide them. So, I will also tell them what I do to overcome my difficulties with public speaking (e.g. “When I have to give a presentation and I’m stressed in front of colleagues, I take a pause and remind myself to breathe properly, mindfully for a few seconds.”). I’ll be working with other professionals to give your child the best experience and exposure.
  6. Finally, let’s not forget that communication is a two way process. People are more willing to speak freely when they feel listened to. So, at the end of the workshop, the kids would have understood ‘active listening’ and how to engage in conversations with attention and kindness.

Workshop Modalities

The Boot Camp will hold for 1 month. The first 2 weeks will be for intense coaching via Zoom. At the end of week 2, they will send in their first presentations. Workshop will continue. At the end of week 3, they will send in their second Presentations.

Then, on 16th August 2020, the finalists will make live presentations on Zoom in the presence of their parents and guests. Voting will be done live on Zoom by guests and all participants but the Judges reserve the final right to choose the winners according to certain parameters.

There will be two categories according to age grouping; 6-8 and 9-12.

You can register more than one child.

If this is what you want for your child(ren), kindly make a transfer of 10,000 naira to:

Quints Communications
GTB
0216123891

Thereafter, click the registration link to register. Make sure you make the payment before registering.

After registering, send a proof of payment to 07051879323 on Whatsapp. For further questions or clarifications, you may also send Whatsapp messages to the number.

I look forward to working with your kids.

Ayanfeoluwa Wole-Ojo
Lead Coach,
Quints Diction and Social Polish Academy
8, Sanyaolu Street, Off Kudirat Abiola Way,
Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria.

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Teach Phonetics and Montessori Phonics Like a Pro

This training is specially crafted for educators whose dreams are really big.

I visited a school and a teacher was teaching the sounds in the government approved Nigeria Primary English Textbook, I was alarmed. Errors were being passed down with such confidence. I hope this doesn’t happen in your school?

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New educators are emerging with specialised skills.

Don’t be left behind.

This workshop is designed for English, Diction and Phonics tutors who desire depth in their craft. It’s time to stop teaching pupils fake and wrongly modulated accent. Come learn what it really means to teach elocution.

School owners, it is time to stop engaging semi-literate diction instructors who hide their poor grammar inside a “gonnawanna” accent . Come learn what to watch out for when recruiting one.
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We have trained hundreds of educators who have become trainers themselves.

Tag a youth, IT student, corps member or fresh graduate who speaks English Language above average and is passionate about teaching. Help them build a career in teaching diction and Phonics professionally.

Tag a parent who wants to understand phonics sounds; who wants to teach the kids what it means to speak fluently and read early.

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This course features:

Sounds of English Language
Elocution/Diction Drill
Intonation
Word Stress
Accent Naturalisation
Montessori Phonics
Jolly Phonics
Blending, Reading and Spelling Skills.

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Date: December 18-21 and January 6(For exam, presentations and certification)

Investment 50, 000 | Early bird 30, 000 ( on or before Dec. 15)

Discount for group registration is available.

These 5 days are capable of changing your life forever.

Internship opportunity of 1-3 months is available for those who so desire.

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Training covers:

Tuition
Substantial Course Handouts
Cambridge Pronouncing English Dictionary with CD(18th edition)
Lunch
Certificate.

Please, check flyer for further details.

Pay to Quints Communication.
GtBank 0216123891

Thereafter, register here

www.quintsdiction.com/masterclass

Call 07051879323

From Broadcasting to Public Speaking (Thisday Interview)

She is gradually carving a niche for herself. Ayanfeoluwa Lawal, CEO of Quints Diction and Social Polish Academy, is becoming an authority on etiquette. Within a few months, she has built a stream of Ivy league clients, as her services have become much sought after by highbrow secondary schools across Lagos State. The clergy are not left out of the teeming number of professionals who contact her in a bid to project a positive image through public speaking…

Read more http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/08/07/from-broadcasting-to-public-speaking/

Get Rid of That ‘h’ Factor!

Though, it can as well be found among other tribes.

It simply means adding the sound ‘h” to a word where it doesn’t exist. For example, adding ‘h’ at the beginning of words like egg, apple, onions, only, eyes, air, and, envelope; just to mention a few. This is called affectation.

You also have the ‘h’ factor if you remove it where it exists. This is called de-affectation. For example, removing the letter ‘h’ from house, hospital, hammer, heaven, holy just to mention a few, is as bad as adding it where it doesn’t exist. The resultant effect is that those words will sound as ouse, ospital, ammer, eaven, oly. You will agree with me that such words don’t exist, right?

A number of people have been told they have the ‘h’ factor and they’ve been wondering what it means. Hope you now know?

No matter how well spoken you are, this speech challenge can taint your speaking prowess.

Having the ‘h’ factor is a ‘taboo’ in the broadcast parlance. Nobody will put you on air if you have it. So, if you ever want to work in a broadcast media house, you need to take this seriously.

I have met many educators with this challenge and sadly, they are passing it on to their pupils. I’ve heard many teachers say ‘a’ for ‘happle’… Sadly so, but true.

It can be very distracting and annoying to people whose ears are tuned to it. It is a total turn-off.

In some people, this speech defect is dominant, while in some it isn’t.

Either way, it is a challenge you can and must surmount.

Someone is asking, ‘how do I surmount it?’

1. Watch out for words that begin with the vowel sounds. Vowel sounds are a, e, i, o, u. Letter ‘h’ attracts words that begin with the vowel, so you need to hesitate before sounding those words.

2. Reduce your volume when you are about to hit on those words that begin with the vowel sounds.

3. The letter ‘h’ is produced while you exhale. So, most importantly, ensure you hold your breath before you sound those words that begin with vowel sounds. If you don’t exhale, the production of your vowel sounds will be pure.

4. Compile lots of words that begin with the vowel sounds and practice with them. You will make mistakes, it will take time as there are no magic bullets; but it is definitely doable.

You should practice with these words

”Our hot air hostess handed us hot oats, as she had in her hand our air fare.”

“You don’t ear with your hears”

“I want to eat an apple”

“I like eggs with onions”
5. Let’s work with you on this. We have coached many people who have overcome this challenge, yours cannot be different.

Give us a call on 07051879323 and let’s begin the journey to eloquence!

Diction and Social Polish Masterclass!

Are you aware that you should never drink to yourself if a toast is proposed in your honour? You should not even raise your glass or take a drink until everyone has taken a drink and put their glasses down on the table.
This masterclass centres on elocution and “everything etiquette”; that’s what Social Polish is all about.
I attended a buffet recently and I was embarrassed at the ignorance of friends around my table. A number of them ate desserts first. If you are invited to a lavish dinner, what do you eat first? Do you know the options of starters, main dishes or desserts? Which cutlery do you use for each? How do you handle them?
While teaching you fine dining etiquette, we will be treating you to a 3-course exquisite meal.
This training is a one-stop avenue to learn all there is about Social Polish.
On Diction, rightly or wrongly, the way that you speak is one of the first things people notice about you. People will judge your background, education and social standing just by the way you speak.
Good pronunciation doesn’t mean we all have to speak like the Queen of England, but a lot of things give you away if you have never taken a course on elocution.
Elocution is about putting the right emphasis and nuance into what you are saying. Even kids born and bred in the UK take diction lessons. Remind me of your excuses again.
Poor diction, otherwise known as lazy speech can hold us back in life.
Have you ever been told you have the “h” factor? We’ve got you covered. Let’s help you through that challenge and other communication challenges you might have.
First impressions are based not just on the way we look but the way we speak.
We may have all the qualifications on paper, but if we don’t speak crisply, we immediately lose credibility.
My co-trainer this time is one of Nigeria’s finest broadcasters, Bukola Coker Samuel Wemimo. During my early years as a broadcaster with DBN Television, Myself and Temitope Idowu always had one or two new words to learn from her newscasts or reportage.
Come learn from the best!
This training is worth much more than we are offering. We struggled to leave the early birds fee at 10,000 naira. It is ridiculously subsidised compared to the value. Our desire is to give as many people as possible the opportunity to be polished.
Date: Saturday, November 25
Venue: Pattaya Oriental, 30 Adeola Hopewell, Victoria Island, Lagos
Time: 10-6pm
Early birds on or before Nov. 21(10,000)
Late Reg (15,000)
Pay to Quints Communications
GtBank 0216123891
Thereafter, register at www.quintsdiction.com/masterclass
Call 07051879323 for further details.
Speak right. Get Polished. Be Professional!

Invest in your Staff Members

It happened again!

The agenda was to sign a contract for consultation on Diction and Social Polish!

Here’s the conversation…

Quints: OK, before we go ahead, I would like to let you know that training your teachers is the first thing we do.

School XYZ: No please. Don’t bother about that. Just come every week to teach the pupils yourself and we don’t even want the teachers in class while you do this. (I couldn’t believe that last line)

Quints: We come once or twice a week to spend a few hours, your teachers are with them for a minimum of 7 hours a day and 5 days a week. Our efforts will be wasted. And our goal is not to be with you forever, we will train your teachers to a point of independence where you don’t need our services any longer.

School XYZ: Never mind. We are not interested. They will leave after we have invested in them. These teachers are not reliable… (We have heard this over and over again)

Quints: We are doing this for free. Don’t bother about payment if that’s why you are insisting. We just want the best for the school.

School XYZ: Seriously, never mind. They will be fine.

Quints: They won’t be fine. And if you insist, we can’t take up this role. Our efforts will be frustrated…

Schools XYZ: Why are you insisting on this. Do you have anything to gain from that?

Quints: Yes. Your pupils will be better for it. And this is all about them…

School XYZ: Okay. When should we schedule the training? But where are we going to get the 3 days from? School is in session and …

Quints: …….(Let me spare you the details)

This happens over and over again. And I’m wondering, why do schools owners do this?!

Save for a few schools who go all out to hire professionals for the holistic training and development of their instructors, a whole lot do not even want to hear of it.

Remember, “If you train them, they may leave. What if you don’t, and they stay?”

Words you may be sounding wrongly!

Asked is pronounced “askt” not “askd”.

Worked is workt, cooked is cookt, walked is walkt(the “l” here is silent) , kissed is kist, liked is likt, stopped is stopt, looked is lookt, dropped is dropt…

Are you wondering why?

When the last sound before -ed is voiceless (which means you won’t feel your vocal cords vibrate), the -ed sound is /t/.

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When the last sound before -ed is
/t/ or /d/ the -ed sound is /id/.

i.e Waited is waitid, wanted is wantid, needed is needid, decided is decidid, hated is hatid, tasted is tastid, ended is endid… (You need to learn how to sound this “id”)

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When the last sound before -ed is voiced (which means you will feel your vocal cords vibrate), the-ed sound is /d/.

e.g Played, showed, closed, opened, enjoyed, loved, tried, rained, learned, cleaned.

I hope you found this useful?

Social Polish Will Make You Shine (Punch Interview)

Read Ayanfeoluwa Lawal’s thoughts in Sunday Punch, July 3rd 2016.
..”Ignorance! They think “it sounds better if it sounds foreign.” Except you were raised abroad, it sounds fake if it sounds foreign. A broadcaster should be very comfortable in his/her accent. Accent is the least thing to worry about if you want to speak rightly. I hear fake accent coupled with terrible pronunciation on radio and television every day. Whereas, the most important aspect of speaking rightly is working on diction and practicing pronunciation. There is no point faking it. People know when you are faking it and it is always a turn-off. Get trained, pronounce and enunciate the vowels and consonants of each word clearly; that’s all….”

Read more http://punchng.com/social-polish-will-make-shine/