The English-Speaking Union LITHUANIA

We are thrilled to share that we have recently received Commonwealth accreditation, formally recognising our work to champion civil society. We join more than 90 other accredited organisations, from global networks to grassroots groups working across peace, education, human rights, sustainability and more.

'There are many organisations within the Commonwealth that focus on education as a way out of poverty,’ says Consola Evans, our Director of Global Engagement. ‘We look forward to working alongside them to show how young people’s communication skills are a vital step on that pathway.'

More than a competition: My IPSC week in London | ESU ESU alumna, Ugne Žirgute, shares how competing in the ESU International Public Speaking Competition (IPSC) brought her new friendships, unexpected pride in her Lithuanian roots and a confidence she didn't know she was looking for.

The winner of the ESU National Public Speaking Competition 2026 Matas Grikšas from Vilnius Lyceum.

LEARNING BY DOING

Public speech isn’t just about speaking in front of an audience - it’s about connecting with the audience, and that’s exactly what the ESU National Public Speaking Competition (NPSC) taught me.

Having participated in the ESU NPSC twice, winning 3rd and 1st place respectively, I can say with the utmost certainty that the way one connects with the audience is what separates a good speech from a brilliant speech.

The first time I had ever participated in the ESU NPSC, I spoke about a theme I wasn’t completely passionate about, rather, I spoke about something I thought the judges would want to hear, and that was exactly the problem - believe me, both the audience, and the judges can tell.

However, though I didn’t win the previous year's NPSC, what I did do was meet some great people - one of which was the previous NPSC winner, Ugnė Žirgutė, who won with her fantastic speech on nanotechnology and teamwork in science. Her speech helped me come to the realization that speaking about what you genuinely find most interesting is what makes you connect with not only the audience, but with other people as well. And that makes the winning difference.

That being said, with this new realization, I came back with a speech on something I was genuinely passionate about - Science and scientific pedagogy. This time around, I wasn’t just speaking to the audience - I was speaking WITH them, and that’s precisely what helped me become this year’s laureate. And this new realization didn’t just help me win; it has stuck with me ever since my first NPSC. To speak about the things you are passionate about really helps you get ahead and meet other great and like-minded people (Speaking from experience!)

The ESU NPSC truly did shape me not just as an orator, but as a person, as well. And for each up-and-coming contestant - I hope you really keep in mind what has been said in this text, cause trust me, it’s the little things that make your speech stand out.

Celebrating Shakespeare 🌿🌿🌿

On May 25, an event dedicated to the life and literary heritage of William Shakespeare was held at the " Vilnius, Unesco literatūros miestas“ space. The event was attended by members of the ESU-Lithuania Board, as well as local and international students from the Faculty of Philology at Vilnius University. We were delighted to welcome students from Italy, France, Turkey, and Ukraine.

During the event, Shakespeare’s 24th and 54th sonnets were read in the original English, while students of philology also presented their best poetic translations into Lithuanian. For comparison, translations of the same sonnets into Italian, French, Norwegian, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Polish were shared with the audience. The programme also included a BBC documentary dedicated to Shakespeare’s life and literary work.

The event became a truly multilingual and multicultural celebration of William Shakespeare, organized by Birute Paloviene, a lecturer at the VU FLF Užsienio kalbų institutas, and moderated by Dr Deimante Velickiene, a lecturer at the Department of Translation Studies. Both from the VU Filologijos fakultetas.

Special thanks to “Vilnius, Unesco literatūros miestas” for hosting the event!

These are the books to add to your reading pile this year: https://bbc.in/49Kc7eE