My Child Does Not Want to Learn Public Speaking – Encouraging an Important Soft Skill!

Not everyone enjoys public speaking – if you have tried to bring your child for enrichment activities, you are likely to have encountered resistance from them. Sometimes, this comes about because of workload or scheduling issues. However, we also recognise that motivation is an essential ingredient in picking up a new soft skill. We, as adults, often struggle with this as well! (think: upskilling).

With all this in mind, how can we encourage our young ones to try their hand at a new skill such as public speaking? The fluid nature of soft skills often means a challenge in trying to convince our young ones to develop their communicator side. In fact, we often encounter students sharing that they were initially ‘forced’ to attend a class (before they developed the interest). For us, part of the willingness to step onto the stage is the awareness of the importance of public speaking as a skill.

If you have been fretting about how to encourage your child to take up public speaking during this holiday, here are some tips on nurturing that motivation!

Your Child is the Client!

One of our favourite sayings at our Academy is: “Your Child is the Client!” This is a recognition that when it comes to the decision to join a public speaking programme, the learner is the important individual. From that perspective, it is not about who knows best for them but whether they know what can benefit them in the long run. This appreciation comes best internally than externally (e.g., through someone telling them).

To achieve this internal realisation, one of the conversations we tend to explore with our young learners is their understanding of what public speaking entails. From there, we try to link the communication settings to areas of interest or passion. If your child realises that public speaking classes are a platform for them to share things that they are passionate about, this may motivate them in the long run! The idea is to impress our young communicators with the potential of public speaking instead of imposing it on them.

Make it Relatable

Internal motivation is one aspect of building interest in public speaking. For new students over at our Academy, we often encourage young learners to unpack and explore their perspectives on public speaking. Our young learners often give an open and honest perspective of the skill – some find it daunting while others harbour a hidden interest in the communication skill. By understanding these aspects, our young learners will understand how communication skills apply to them.

One method of encouraging this relatability and relevance is by inviting your child to think about the various settings in school to apply public speaking skills. The common misconception is that public speaking is only meant for the big stage. As they unpack their daily routine, they may find other opportunities for communication (e.g., conversations, discussions). The objective is to let our young communicators see the immediate applicability of the skill to their daily routine.

Set the Expectation!

Finally, soft skill training is often approached from a qualitative angle (in contrast to a quantitative/grading angle). This allows us to focus on building successful communication habits instead of simply designing the perfect speech. With that perspective, we invite you to also re-consider your metric of success for your child and the expectation for them in this programme. A public speaking programme is not meant to immediately convert a ‘shy’ individual into a vocal one. It is an incremental, progressive programme to help build confidence in our young communicators at their own pace.

Instead of monitoring and unpacking every speaking assignment/video, you may choose to appreciate the little steps your child has taken in building a new habit. They are not assessed in an examination setting but are likely to see the application of the communication skills in their daily conversations. With a safer expectation for your child, they may be more open to picking up this new soft skill!

Your Child’s First Step

While the decision to join a public speaking programme should still be in your child’s hands, we believe communication skills are one key aspect of their development. In line with this, open communication with your child is key to motivating them to consider a public speaking programme. If you have a young learner at home still deciding, try some of the approaches above!

WATCH: “How Do I Know If My Child Is Getting Better At Public Speaking?”

If you are keen to take your public speaking skills & presentation skills (either business/corporate presentation / kids in-class presentation) to the next level so that you may communicate and deliver speeches with greater flair and charisma, feel free to check out our public speaking/ presentation skills course for adults and public speaking course for children below!

We want to help you bring out the best in your team, organization, and company. Public speaking and communication skills for the workplace, such as persuasion, remain a priority for most corporate training out there. We believe in staying ahead of the curve in sharing the contemporary communication skills to help you and your team remain relevant, competitive and nimble. Through our customized corporate training programmes, your team will benefit from an in-depth, hands-on, and potential-maximising public speaking & presentation skills training programme!

Feel free to reach out to us to curate your own public speaking corporate training programme for your team, company, or organization! Let us help you develop them into highly effective public speakers at work, empowered with effective presentation skills & storytelling skills – them giving speeches with charisma, influence and impact is something you can look forward to!