Is Skillshare Worth It: Review of Top 5 Public Speaking Courses
I watched the top 5 public speaking courses on Skillshare so you didn't have to, and I wasn't disappointed!
I watched the top 5 public speaking courses on Skillshare so you didn't have to, and I wasn't disappointed! If you're looking to level up your presentation and communication skills, Skillshare has some excellent options. Here's my honest breakdown.
1. Presenting & Communication — Rahaf Harfoush ⭐ 4.8/5
Rahaf delivers a masterclass in presentation preparation with a methodical, real-world approach.
- Professional production quality
- Core storytelling principles
- Templates for planning speeches
- Experienced orator
- Very detailed
- ✗Work/Career focused (principles still apply broadly)
- ✗Some unnecessary cutscenes
Verdict: Very detailed, you could tell she knew what she was talking about. Definitely recommend!
2. TEDx Masterclass — Francesco Samarelli ⭐ 4/5
Francesco brings an energetic approach to teaching, focusing on the performative aspects of presenting.
- Good general advice
- Implements what he teaches
- Centers key concepts around 1 word
- Easy to take notes
- Funny and relatable
- ✗Distracting background music
- ✗Some vague concepts
- ✗Niche "performative speaking" focus
Verdict: Generally enjoyed it but felt more like a show than a lesson.
3. Intro to Public Speaking — Nick Armstrong ⭐ 4.5/5
Nick delivers a beginner-friendly course covering all the essential fundamentals.
- Covers essential fundamentals
- Easy to follow with examples
- Relatable and funny
- Practical clips with analysis
- Good video/sound quality
- ✗Specific to high pressure short talks (~5 min)
Verdict: Perfect for beginners who want to start somewhere and grow!
4. Elocution & Confident Speech — Ashley Keenan ⭐ 3/5
Ashley offers a technically detailed course focusing on pronunciation and enunciation.
- Great for deeper technical detail
- Many examples
- Helpful pronunciation exercises
- ✗No video
- ✗Low audio quality
- ✗Slightly too technical
- ✗Too much text on slides
Verdict: Good for technical deep-dives on elocution, but production quality holds it back.
5. Honorable Mention — MJ Truong
Although her course focuses on presentation design, lesson 17 delivers excellent points about delivery: "be yourself, speak clearly, and be descriptive." She also mentions TED talks to help you train those skills! Her full 3-hour course is worth checking out.
My Recommended Learning Path
- Start with Nick's Intro to Public Speaking for basics and foundations
- Take detailed notes from Rahaf's Presenting & Communication course—especially for career growth
- Practice, practice, practice until everything becomes second nature
Good luck!
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