The Arts of Language Podcast · IEW (Andrew Pudewa)

Episode 514: Confident Public Speaking with NCFCA Champions

January 28, 2026

The episode begins with hosts Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker introducing the NCFCA (National Christian Forensics and Communications Association) and their partnership with the organization. They announce they are interviewing champions from the recent national tournament: Jonathan, Abby, and Pierce. Jonathan explains he grew up in a family where all his older siblings did speech and debate, and he eagerly started at age 12. He emphasizes that his parents focused on using debate to pursue truth rather than win arguments. Abby shares she was the youngest of seven and initially terrified of debate, crying before club meetings, but her mother required two years of participation. She now competes in impromptu, Duo Biblical Apologetics, Open, and Lincoln-Douglas debate, and she uses an impromptu journal to prepare. Pierce recounts a rough start with public speaking at age 10 but joined NCFCA at 14-15. He chose a persuasive speech topic on why people should switch to flip phones, and he now uses one himself. The hosts ask about intangible benefits: Jonathan highlights apologetics skills and deepening faith, Abby mentions building identity in Christ and closer relationships like with her brother through duo events, and Pierce notes prayer and time management. They discuss the challenge of pride in competition, with all guests admitting they struggled but found NCFCA's community helpful for humility. Andrew encourages listeners to attend NCFCA tournaments, and Julie promotes IEW's public speaking course. The episode concludes with thanks and calls to subscribe and review.

As heard by us

A grounded look at speech, debate, time management, and the habit of pursuing truth.

Speech and debate are presented here as more than performance or nerves; they are treated as a way to practice critical thinking in public. Andrew and Julie keep the focus on why the work matters: weighing ideas carefully, trying to get at what is true, and shaping confident…

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Why you'd press play

If you want speech confidence without the usual pep-talk fog, start here.

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