Top Free Courses for Public Speaking & Communication

Hey there, future public speaker!

Do you remember watching the movie Rocket Singh and wondering, “Man, how does he talk and convince people?” Or how Sandeep Maheshwari, the infamous motivational speaker, has inspired many young people with his words. You may have thought, how can someone win people with just words? Well, there’s no Bollywood script for this. Right training, confidence, and art are all you require. You can achieve this by choosing the right public speaking course, which is free.

With proper training and practice, you can transform from mumbling to a lead speaker standing on the stage. So, stand before the mirror, hold a mic, and practise with us. We are going to explore the certificate courses online free for public speaking and communication.

Why Care About Public Speaking?

The first question candidates like you ask is, “Why do I have to put so much effort into public speaking?” Why is it important, and how would it benefit me in the workplace? So, before jumping into the free courses, let’s answer your questions quickly.

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  Imagine this: You are asked to pitch a marketing campaign idea at work in front of the company director and your manager. If you lack public speaking skills, your lack of confidence may impact your presentation, and there’s a chance the audience may not understand your idea, eventually leading to its rejection.
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  You are at a social gathering; instead of shying away and simply nodding, you would prefer to charm everyone with your words, right? That’s where you need communication and public speaking skills.
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  You are giving a presentation at college but are stuttering. It would affect your grades no matter how good your presentation’s content is. So, it’s better to polish your public speaking skills before you end up in this situation.

Best FREE Courses for Public Speaking and Communication

Now that we have understood the importance, let’s get to the point. Here is the list of top online public speaking free courses for you to jump into without a question. 

1. Introduction to Public Speaking by Coursera

This beginner-level course is timeless and effective, and leaves you feeling like an expert. The University of Washington offers a free course for public speaking comprising five modules. You learn how to structure speeches and present confidently. It also offers an immersive VR experience, which lets you hone your presentation skills in a simulated conference room. The course is free for enrollment, wherein you get a seven-day trial, after which you have to pay a certain amount.

2. Conquer Public Speaking: A Beginner’s Guide by Udemy

This course focuses on speaking confidently in presentations, interviews, and business conversations. It has five sections, which cover areas such as leveraging body language and voice, key strategies to present your views, and how to tackle anxiety and stage fright. Since it is a free online certificate course, you don’t get a certificate of completion for this free course. For that, you would have to pay, though you can learn without paying.

3. The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking by Harvard University

This is a self-paced certificate course where learning is free, and to add a valid certificate, you have to pay $209. The course is delivered via the edX platform, demanding 2-3 hours per week. By the end of it, you would have learnt how to employ rhetorical devices in writing and speaking, evaluate the strength of an argument and how to write a short speech. This course is designed around Prof. James Engell’s course Elements of Rhetoric. Isn’t it exciting?

4. Successful Presentation by Coursera

Have you ever experienced someone giving a presentation and everyone in the audience understanding each word? This is the impact of a powerful presentation. This course comprises a series of videos and exercises to train you for successful public speaking and presentations. You may have used the best content in your slides, but if you cannot present it effectively to the audience, it’s of no use. So, this course gets you started with public speaking. On Coursera, this course is offered by the University of Colorado Boulder.

5. Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking by Udemy

Most people are not good at public speaking because of their fear. So, this public speaking course by Udemy covers the tips and tricks for managing stress and anxiety while giving a speech. Since body language and voice control play a critical role in showing your confidence, the course would help you relax through preparation and organisation. Moreover, you can collect strategies to engage your audience.

Bonus: Quick Tips to Sound like a Pro

Like the grace marks you get in exams and the yearly Diwali bonus, here is a bonus of tips to make you a pro in public speaking. 

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  Mirror practice: Yes, practising in front of a mirror is an age-old, effective way to improve your public speaking skills. Make it a daily habit to do this, and gradually, you shall see a difference.
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  Record yourself: Record how you speak, not to post it online but to be your own critic. See the recording, identify your pitfalls and try to improve your weaknesses.
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  Breathe like Taare Zameen Par: Take a deep breath before you go on to speak for a steady voice.
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  Watch other speeches: It is always effective to watch and learn from people who are good at it. Notice their body language, way of speaking, and their tone. You can adopt the good parts and see where you lack.
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  Organise your material: Create a structured framework for your speech and grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

Curtain Close

Public speaking is not about being loud; it means being heard and being able to convince. You could not be more wrong if you think you only need public speaking in college debates and stage anchoring. It’s required in every phase of our life, school, college, and the workplace. The free courses allow you to complete your learning and become a great public speaker. Who knows, in the future you might become a politician? While it is not a compulsory skill required on your resume, employers do look for such soft skills. So, have you made your mind up yet?