I used to be terrified of speaking in front of an audience. Whenever my teacher asked me to present my work, my heart would race and my palms would become sweaty. Therefore, when our teacher announced a public speaking competition, I hoped that I would not be chosen.

To my surprise, my classmates nominated me to represent the class. At first, I wanted to refuse. However, my teacher encouraged me to see it as an opportunity to learn something new. After much thought, I decided to give it a try.

Over the next few weeks, I attended training sessions with other participants. We learnt how to project our voices, maintain eye contact and use gestures effectively. During our first practice session, I stumbled over my words and forgot parts of my speech. I felt embarrassed, but my teacher and friends encouraged me not to give up.

Determined to improve, I practised every day after school. Gradually, my confidence grew. On the day of the competition, I took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage. Although I was nervous, I remembered everything I had learnt and delivered my speech confidently.

When the results were announced, I was thrilled to receive a Certificate of Achievement. My classmates cheered loudly and congratulated me.

That experience taught me more than just public speaking. I learnt that trying something new can be challenging, but with perseverance and courage, we can discover strengths we never knew we had.

Word Count: 249

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How to Plan and Write This Composition

Step 1: Understand the Pictures

The pictures suggest:

1. Students discussing ideas → learning together.

2. "Learn Something New" on a calendar → setting a goal to learn a new skill.

3. Certificate of Achievement → success after learning.

A strong storyline is:

A shy student learns public speaking and earns a certificate.

Step 2: Answer the Guiding Questions

What was something new you learnt?

• Public speaking.

• Speech presentation.

• Debate skills.

• Coding or robotics (other possibilities).

Why did you learn something new?

• Teacher encouraged you.

• Competition was coming.

• Wanted to overcome fear.

• Wanted to improve yourself.

Step 3: Use an A1 Story Structure

Paragraph - Content

Introduction - Fear of public speaking

Problem - Chosen for competition

Development - Training and practice

Climax - Competition day

Resolution - Wins certificate

Conclusion - Lesson learnt

Step 4: Add High-Scoring Vocabulary

Use phrases like:

• to my surprise

• a golden opportunity

• stumbled over my words

• determined to improve

• gradually gained confidence

• took a deep breath

• thrilled beyond words

• perseverance and courage

Why This Composition Can Score A1

✅ Directly addresses "Learning Something New"
✅ Uses all three pictures naturally
✅ Contains a clear challenge and growth journey
✅ Shows emotions and character development
✅ Ends with a meaningful reflection and lesson learnt
✅ Uses rich vocabulary and varied sentence structures suitable for PSLE A1 writing.