How Some Stand Out From The Rest

The ability to speak skillfully provides a speaker with distinct advantages in their career and life. A well-rounded communicator stands out from the rest, since speaking effectively is not an ordinary ability (Many people are deathly afraid of public speaking; others have little ability to deliver a message believably). Well-developed verbal skills can increase negotiation skills, self-confidence, and give a certain credibility. When speaking skills are developed to a master level, it provides a speaker with the ability to inform, persuade, direct and lead.

Speaking is, and always will be an important skill for career enhancement, but it is not limited to professional aspirations. For thousands of years, people have known that the best way to understand a concept is to explain it to someone else. Students enlisted to tutor others have to work harder to understand the material, recall it more accurately and apply it more effectively. Simply by preparing a presentation, a speaker has to organize their own knowledge. And as they talk, they identify gaps in their thinking. In addition, feedback can further enhance the speaker’s learning and skill.

Given the twin benefits of career & life advancement and learning, it is not surprising that speaking skills are emphasized in school curricula. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English language literacy for Kindergarten to Grade 12 dedicates a section to speaking & listening in general, and in particular the presentation of knowledge and ideas.

Unfortunately, the fear of public speaking is also near the top of the list of human phobias in many cultures. Forcing school children to face their fear of speaking in front of a class can exacerbate the problem, cause lasting trauma, fear of rejection and is considered abusive by some. We however know that by diligent practice these fears can be overcome; by example, the well-regarded Toastmaster International program has taught many professionals how to become a “competent communicator”.

Since practicing is the cornerstone of improving speaking and presentation skills, and we know that the classroom is not the ideal environment (too high pressure and lack of class time for students to practice adequately), we are investigating the use of technology at home to teach the required skills.

In brief, we are developing an online learning service called Oumy where students record their speaking voice in synchronization with slides. Recorded presentations are shared privately (for example a teacher or a trusted classmate) and publicly (the whole class or the world) for feedback. The core principle is that students can practice in safe environment, potentially failing many times at presenting without being embarrassed.