Founder Spotlight: Kelvin Tan on Building Confidence Through Communication at Speech Academy Asia

In our latest Skoolopedia Founder Feature, we sit down with Kelvin Tan Ching Yi, Co-founder of Speech Academy Asia, to explore how his centre is revolutionising communication skills education for children and adults across Singapore.

About Kelvin and Speech Academy Asia

Kelvin Tan Ching Yi co-founded Speech Academy Asia Pte Ltd in 2013, driven by a mission to teach what he considers one of life’s most essential skills: communication. As Co-founder of this pioneering enrichment centre, Kelvin has spent over a decade helping both children and adults develop confidence in public speaking and leadership.

Speech Academy Asia stands out in Singapore’s education landscape as a specialist centre focused entirely on developing linguistic abilities through public speaking and communication skills training. What makes them unique is their proprietary teaching methodologies: Speech Linguistic Patterns™, Neuro Somatics™, and Language Memory Programming Semantics™ (LMPS) – cutting-edge approaches that set them apart from traditional enrichment centres.

The Inspiration Behind Speech Academy Asia

Kelvin’s motivation for starting the centre was deeply personal and practical: “I wanted to teach kids and adults a very important lifeskill which is communication skills, and also to build confidence in public speaking and leadership.” This straightforward mission statement reflects a recognition that communication skills are fundamental to success in virtually every aspect of life.

The story behind Speech Academy Asia begins with Kelvin’s co-founder Lukas, an academically brilliant student who despite achieving top scores, found himself paralysed by fear during his first university presentation. This experience highlighted a critical gap in traditional education – students could excel academically but still struggle with essential communication skills.

Determined to address this problem, Lukas invested his savings in confidence-building courses and then partnered with Kelvin, whose more extroverted nature complemented Lukas’s analytical approach. Together, they worked to “systemise” a fun, game-based public speaking curriculum that could help introverts communicate effectively without fundamentally changing their personalities.

Thirteen years ago, when such specialised programmes were virtually unheard of in Singapore, they opened their first centre with a clear vision: to help students communicate confidently while staying true to themselves.

Philosophy and Unique Approach

Speech Academy Asia’s core mission is ambitious: “to revolutionise learning and fully develop linguistic ability, such as public speaking and communication skills, in both children and adults.” This isn’t just about teaching students to speak louder or stand straighter – it’s about fundamentally transforming how they connect with others.

What sets their teaching approach apart is the integration of their proprietary methodologies with a game-based learning system. Rather than following traditional, often intimidating presentation formats, Speech Academy Asia has developed engaging, interactive methods that make learning communication skills enjoyable and accessible.

Their unique teaching methodologies – Speech Linguistic Patterns™, Neuro Somatics™, and Language Memory Programming Semantics™ – represent years of research and development into how people actually learn and retain communication skills. This scientific approach to what many consider a “soft skill” demonstrates the centre’s commitment to delivering measurable, lasting results.

Measuring Success: From Shy to Confident

The transformation Kelvin describes in his students perfectly encapsulates what Speech Academy Asia achieves: students who “used to be shy and now able to present herself confidently, in oral exams as well as job interviews.” This real-world application of skills learned at the centre demonstrates the practical value of their approach.

Success at Speech Academy Asia is clearly defined and measurable. A successful student is one who can stand up confidently, speak from a self-written script, and effectively use gestures, eye contact, and vocal variety with minimal prompting. To achieve and track this progress, the centre employs several innovative methods:

Monthly Live Showcases allow parents to witness their children’s progress firsthand, creating accountability and celebration of achievements. Termly Report Cards provide specific metrics on speaking abilities, giving families concrete data on improvement. For students seeking formal recognition, the centre offers Optional Graded Certifications through respected institutions like Trinity College London and LAMDA, along with friendly competitions that motivate continued mastery.

Overcoming Early Challenges

Like many innovative educational concepts, Speech Academy Asia faced significant challenges in its early years. The primary obstacle was perception – many parents viewed public speaking as a “nice-to-have” skill rather than an essential one, especially when family budgets were already stretched by tuition and sports activities.

Additionally, there was scepticism about whether undergraduate coaches without formal teaching credentials could effectively deliver results. This doubt was particularly challenging for a new centre trying to establish credibility in Singapore’s competitive education market.

Kelvin and his team addressed these challenges through patient education and consistent demonstration of value. They invested time in sitting down with parents to explain the long-term benefits of communication skills, showing how these abilities would serve their children throughout their academic and professional lives. The centre also committed significant resources to teacher training and certification, ensuring their coaches met high professional standards.

Perhaps most importantly, they let results speak for themselves through student showcases, gradually shifting mindsets and proving that investment in communication skills delivered tangible, lasting benefits.

Looking Ahead: Vision for the Future

Kelvin’s vision for Speech Academy Asia extends far beyond Singapore’s borders. “To continue inspiring more children in Singapore and the rest of the world on the importance of communications skills” reflects an ambition to scale their impact globally.

Looking at the broader evolution of enrichment education, Kelvin anticipates a hybrid model emerging over the next five years. This will combine AI coaching tools that provide unbiased feedback on technical aspects like fillers, pauses, and eye contact, while maintaining the irreplaceable human element of physical classes for social interaction and personalised guidance.

AI technology will also streamline operational aspects – from lead generation to handling after-hours parent queries and managing retention strategies – allowing centres to scale efficiently without sacrificing the personal touch that makes quality education possible.

A Message for Parents

If there’s one thing Kelvin wants every parent to understand, it’s this: “Communication skills are the fundamentals of developing good characters like leadership and even empathy. Besides being able to public speak, your children will develop strong EQ skills which we feel are as important as IQ, that will take them a lifetime.”

His advice for parents navigating today’s educational options is particularly relevant: “Don’t focus solely on grades. Give your child room to explore and deepen their natural strengths—whether sports, arts, coding or public speaking—because soft skills and character now carry as much weight as exam scores in Singapore’s evolving education landscape.”

This perspective reflects a growing recognition that success in the 21st century requires more than academic achievement. Emotional intelligence, communication skills, and the ability to connect with others are increasingly valuable in both personal and professional contexts.

Common Misconceptions About Communication Skills Education

Through his years of experience, Kelvin has identified several misconceptions that parents often hold about communication skills programmes:

Many parents believe that “only extremely shy kids need this” and often wait until their child experiences an oral exam disaster before seeking help. In reality, communication skills benefit all children, regardless of their natural temperament.

Another common misconception is that “six months is enough” to develop strong communication abilities. Parents often underestimate the incremental nature of communication skills development and may become discouraged if improvements aren’t immediately dramatic. Like learning a musical instrument or mastering a sport, developing confident communication takes time, practice, and patience.

The Lasting Impact

Speech Academy Asia’s approach goes beyond teaching students to speak well – it’s about developing the whole person. The emphasis on emotional intelligence (EQ) alongside communication skills reflects an understanding that true leadership and empathy emerge from the ability to connect authentically with others.

As Kelvin notes, these skills last a lifetime. A child who learns to communicate confidently at Speech Academy Asia doesn’t just perform better in oral exams or job interviews – they develop the foundation for meaningful relationships, effective leadership, and personal fulfillment throughout their lives.

In an increasingly connected world where the ability to communicate across cultures, platforms, and contexts is more valuable than ever, Speech Academy Asia is preparing students not just for academic success, but for life success.

Through their innovative methodologies, commitment to measurable results, and genuine care for student development, Kelvin Tan and Speech Academy Asia are proving that communication skills aren’t just important – they’re transformational.