A student training on how to write and deliver a speech and how to conduct a debate in English was carried out in Portugal by experienced English teachers of the German team. 25 students took part in this training.

Since a persuasive speech aims to get the audience to change their mind to accept the view put forth in the speech, it is an essential means in politics and in life, and therefore crucial for YELP participants. In the training students learned how to prepare a speech, how introduction, main part and conclusion can be composed using stylistic devices such as rhetorical questions, using striking adjectives and adverbs, puns, rhyme, metaphors and similes, alliterations, repetitions etc. effectively. Moreover, students learned how to deliver their speech by using their voice and body language adequately.

Furthermore, the training aimed to introduce the participants to debating, the formal discussion of a motion that ends in a vote, as commonly used in politics. Since the aim of a debate is to present arguments as convincingly as possible, students need to use the skills they acquired about writing and delivering speeches. Students learned how a debate is prepared (agreeing on a set of rules, choosing ranking arguments, choosing a speaker, chairperson and a timekeeper) and held.

It was essential for students to acquire speech writing and debating skills at that stage since they are going to need them for the think tanks to develop the “Europe 2020 Revision” taking place in the second and third project year.

During this training the delegates of the countries were trained as a trainer for the students in their schools.

At the same time, a teacher training concerning the topics of inclusion of students with fewer opportunities into the educational system and non-formal teaching methods took place. 15 teachers received this training.