Top 10 Online Public Speaking Courses for 2024

Are you eager to master the art of captivating speeches and presentations but unsure where to begin? Look no further! We’ve researched and evaluated the leading online public speaking courses to bring you a comprehensive overview of the best platforms available.

Whether the thought of speaking in front of an audience fills you with anxiety or you’re simply seeking strategies to captivate your listeners, our curated selection of top-notch online speaking classes is here to help.

Comparison table of the best public speaking classes and courses online

Explore the advantages and disadvantages, pricing, and unique features of top online public speaking classes and courses. This information will help you choose the options that align with your schedule, budget, and personal learning objectives.

1. LingualNeeds: Best for personalized learning

• Best use cases: Personalized 1-on-1 learning with experienced tutors
• Pricing: Starting at $4/lesson

LingualNeeds simplifies the process of finding experienced public speaking tutors who offer personalized one-on-one lessons tailored to your specific objectives.

Effortlessly discover the perfect instructor for you by utilizing the search filters to align with your schedule, interests, and budget. Once you’ve identified your top candidates, take a moment to explore their student reviews, ratings, and bios. This will help you understand their teaching styles better before reaching out with a private message to discuss your needs.

Before you commit to a specific number of classes, take advantage of a trial lesson with your instructor to see if their teaching style suits you. If the first class doesn’t meet your expectations, LingualNeeds will gladly provide a replacement teacher at no extra cost!

To boost your public speaking skills in a foreign language, check out LingualNeeds’s mobile app and website. They provide valuable grammar and listening comprehension exercises—critical tools for effectively engaging with your audience and confidently answering their questions.

Whether you’re preparing a compelling presentation to captivate clients in China or crafting a heartfelt best-man speech, LingualNeeds is here to assist you every step of the way.

Pros

• Flexible scheduling
• Classes available in 50 different languages
• Professional multilingual instructors
• Customized learning plans and courses

Cons

• Not free
• Live video lessons require a strong internet connection

2. Intro to public speaking – give a 5-minute talk without dying (at Skillshare): Best for beginners

• Best use cases: Beginners who don’t have much experience with public speaking
• Pricing: $29/month

Nick Armstrong, a seasoned TEDx speaker, has crafted an exceptional introductory course tailored for beginners in public speaking. Titled “Intro to Public Speaking – Give a 5-Minute Talk Without Dying,” this course provides a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to help you confidently express your ideas and master the art of delivering engaging presentations.

Armstrong offers essential advice on recognizing and overcoming verbal and physical tics, finding free images for your slides, and presenting yourself as a polished professional. These practical tips are invaluable for anyone preparing for their first speech or presentation.

Like many pre-recorded classes, this course focuses solely on the fundamentals and lacks opportunities for speaking practice or professional feedback. To truly enhance your speaking abilities and prepare for addressing an audience, we recommend enrolling in tutor-led lessons.

Pros

• Abundance of practical tips
• Engaging presenter

Cons

• Short duration (47 minutes)
• No personalized tutor guidance

3. Public speaking (by Rochester Institute of Technology at edX): Best free public speaking class online

• Best use cases: Students who want to try an online public speaking course for free
• Pricing:
  • Free to enroll
  • Starting at $30 for a verified certificate of completion

Enhance your public speaking skills with a free online course from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Led by Dr. Keith B. Jenkins, RIT’s Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, this course provides an in-depth exploration of the key principles of effective formal speaking. Don’t miss the chance to learn from an expert in the field!

Join our dynamic three-week course designed to enhance your presentation skills! Discover essential techniques and straightforward tools that will leave a lasting impression on your audience. Through engaging lecture-style videos, you’ll learn about effective organization, impactful language, strategic approaches, confident delivery, and the optimal use of media aids to elevate your presentations.

This learning program is designed to fit your schedule, requiring just four to six hours of study each week at your own pace. To unlock graded quizzes and assignments, simply register as a verified student and ensure you complete all coursework before the official end date. Enjoy the flexibility of learning while staying on track!

A key limitation of this course is the lack of speaking practice and personalized guidance. However, it’s still an excellent choice for those aiming to boost their confidence and deliver impactful speeches.

Pros

• Slow pace for novices
• No cost

Cons

• Lacks personalized feedback
• Inflexible start dates

4. Effective public speaking (by Duke University): Best for comprehensive learning

• Best use cases: Students who want a comprehensive online public speaking course that doesn’t take long to complete
• Pricing: $145

Join Duke University’s “Effective Public Speaking” course to master the seven essential stages of public speaking. Through engaging games, interactive exercises, and insightful video lessons, you’ll discover how to:

• Establish your purpose
• Consider your audience
• Develop your central message
• Employ evidence to support your main points
• Craft your speech
• Rehearse your speech
• Deliver your speech

This course addresses key challenges such as overcoming speech anxiety, tackling difficult questions, and managing unexpected issues like technical glitches. Designed for flexibility, it’s asynchronous, allowing you to learn at your own pace. You can complete the material in approximately four to six hours, and you’ll have 30 days of access to revisit the content as needed.

Pros

• It covers all aspects of giving a speech
• Offered by a renowned university

Cons

• No instructor feedback
• Limited access to the course

5. Dynamic public speaking specialization (by University of Washington at Coursera): Best for self-study

• Best use cases: Learning all the essential public speaking skills on your own schedule
• Pricing:
  • Free to enroll
  • $59/month for Coursera Plus to earn a certificate of completion

Are you in search of a self-paced online public speaking course designed by experts? Consider the University of Washington’s Dynamic Public Speaking Course, an excellent choice for honing your speaking skills.

Join this engaging Coursera series designed to enhance your presentation and public speaking skills. Through dynamic pre-recorded video lectures, you’ll learn the art of effective communication and persuasive rhetoric. To solidify your understanding, you’ll also tackle interactive online assignments that reinforce your newly acquired knowledge.

This course is divided into four engaging modules: “Introduction to Public Speaking,” “Speaking to Inform,” “Speaking to Persuade,” and “Speaking to Inspire.” Each section is designed to empower anxious speakers with essential skills for building confidence in public speaking. However, it’s important to note that this course does not include direct instructor feedback or opportunities to practice speaking in front of peers or professionals.

While this self-study public speaking course offers extensive content, tutor-led lessons are significantly more effective for honing your presentation skills.

Pros

• Learn at your own pace
• Ability to study from anywhere

Cons

• No personalized 1-on-1 classes
• No customized feedback in real time

6. Micro-presentations: Saying more in less time (at LinkedIn Learning): Best for working professionals

• Best use cases: Working professionals who want to improve their public speaking skills for shorter presentations, like business meetings
• Pricing: Free

If you frequently conduct team or client meetings, you’re likely delivering brief speeches instead of lengthy presentations. To enhance your skills, consider enrolling in this complimentary online public speaking course led by expert coach Lisa Braithwaite. The course emphasizes mastering the “micro-presentation,” which is a powerful talk lasting under five minutes.

This curriculum dives into the essentials of delivering a compelling presentation, focusing on the critical components of an effective micro-presentation. Lisa guides you on what to include for maximum impact and, crucially, what to omit for clarity. Additionally, the course explores the advantages and disadvantages of using a script, helping you steer clear of common pitfalls.

Pros

• Completely free
• Helpful supplement to expand your public speaking skills

Cons

• No live practice
• Only available in English

7. Public speaking for non-native English speakers (by LinkedIn Learning): Best for non-native English speakers

• Best use cases: Non-native English speakers who want to improve their public speaking skills in a new language
• Pricing: Free

Developed by the Strictly Speaking Group, this online public speaking course on LinkedIn Learning is tailored for non-native English speakers. The program focuses on enhancing your clarity and boosting your confidence when presenting in English, ensuring you can effectively communicate your ideas.

Dr. Peter Novak, an instructor, executive communication coach, and professor, emphasizes the importance of delivering content in a listener-friendly manner over perfecting an English accent. He advocates for embracing your multilingual identity, viewing it as a powerful tool for connecting with your audience. Additionally, Dr. Novak provides strategies to recognize and mitigate accent bias, along with techniques to boost your confidence and enhance clarity in communication.

The course features a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to scoring your script for effective delivery. It covers essential aspects such as marking difficult pronunciations, adjusting pitch, managing pace, incorporating pauses, and addressing other key elements of speech. By employing this technique, you’ll deliver your material more naturally, making it sound less like you’re simply reading from a script—even if you are!

Pros

• Completely free
• Includes other helpful resources like breathing exercises and online pronunciation tools

Cons

• No instructor feedback
• Fairly short course (about 2 hours) that doesn’t cover all the essential public speaking skills

8. Fundamentals of public speaking (by the University of North Dakota): Best for official academic credit

• Best use cases: Anyone who wants in-depth learning and practice offered by an accredited institution
• Pricing: $1,154.64

“Fundamentals of Public Speaking” is a recognized online course offered by the University of North Dakota. Completing this course not only enhances your communication skills but also earns you official academic credits that can be seamlessly transferred to other accredited universities.

Embark on a self-paced journey that can be completed in just three to nine months, tailored to your personal learning speed. This comprehensive course covers essential aspects of effective speaking, including content creation, organization, language use, delivery techniques, and critical evaluation of your key messages.

Alongside two open-book exams, you’ll have the opportunity to showcase your speaking skills by delivering several speeches to a live audience of at least three individuals. Your performance will be assessed based on key elements, including creativity, clarity of organization, and the ability to communicate your ideas effectively.

Pros

• Offers official academic credit
• You’ll receive feedback on your recorded speeches

Cons

• The most expensive online public speaking course on our list

9. Complete public speaking masterclass for every occasion (at Udemy): Best for varied situations

• Best use cases: Improving your public speaking skills for a range of occasions, including meetings and conference calls
• Pricing: $159.99

The Complete Public Speaking Masterclass for Every Occasion offers invaluable tips for mastering public speaking in both formal and informal settings. Whether you’re addressing a crowd or engaging in a casual conversation, this course equips you with the skills to communicate effectively and confidently.

Join expert instructor TJ Walker in this dynamic course that prepares you for more than 20 public speaking scenarios, such as investor pitches, job interviews, and virtual conference calls. With over 30 hours of engaging video lessons, insightful articles, and downloadable resources at your fingertips, you’ll gain the skills needed to confidently navigate any speaking opportunity.

While a pre-recorded course offers the convenience of self-paced learning, it does miss the valuable elements of human interaction and personalized feedback from an expert tutor, which can hinder your overall progress. However, if you’re seeking an affordable way to improve your speaking skills at your own pace, this option could be a great fit for you.

Pros

• Teaches you practical story-telling tips
• Downloadable materials

Cons

• Lacks a customized learning plan
• No personalized feedback

10. Oxford Online English: Best for British English

• Best use cases: People who want to deliver speeches in British English

• Pricing:
  • Starting at $10.99/month to access learning materials
  • Starting at $24.99/lesson

Oxford Online English not only offers complimentary self-study materials but also features a range of free pre-recorded presentations filled with valuable speaking tips. To take your public speaking skills to the next level, consider booking an online class with one of their expert instructors. These virtual English speaking courses are conducted by native UK teachers and are available through platforms like Skype or WhatsApp.

While Oxford Online English offers live lessons, it comes with some limitations. All classes are priced uniformly, and the selection of tutors is quite limited, with instruction available exclusively in English. Additionally, the platform lacks instructor reviews or ratings, making it difficult to find a tutor that aligns with your preferred learning style. This stands in stark contrast to the flexibility and variety offered by platforms like LingualNeeds.

Pros

• Free proficiency level test
• Online grammar presentations

Cons

• Classes offered in English only
• Limited availability for live lessons
• Expensive option

How do online public speaking courses work?

Online public speaking classes vary significantly based on the provider and their teaching approach. For example, self-study courses often feature lecture-style presentations that cover essential topics like body language techniques and effective speech strategies through pre-recorded videos.

Live instructor-led lessons offer a more interactive experience, allowing you to actively practice essential techniques through roleplay exercises. You’ll receive tailored feedback on your performance, helping you refine your public speaking skills. Remember, the key to improvement is consistent practice!

In your initial lesson, teachers from the LingualNeeds network will engage in a conversation to understand your goals and learning style. They will evaluate your current skill level to create a personalized learning plan tailored just for you. This targeted approach will help you address your specific weaknesses far more effectively than self-study methods.

Go beyond online public speaking courses with LingualNeeds

Interested in truly mastering the art of public speaking? Then, start learning with LingualNeeds.

With just a few clicks, this dynamic e-learning platform links you to expert public speaking tutors ready to provide personalized one-on-one lessons and tailored resources. This engaging approach is designed to boost your confidence and enhance your speaking skills for any occasion. Thanks to robust filtering options and flexible scheduling, you can easily find an experienced tutor that fits seamlessly into your busy lifestyle.

After discovering your ideal tutor, you’ll receive a personalized learning plan tailored to your schedule and unique learning style. No matter which instructor you select, every tutor at LingualNeeds offers ample speaking practice, immediate and insightful feedback, and additional resources to enhance your skills beyond the classroom.

If you want some starter tips, check out our essential tips for building your confidence for public speaking.