The Sydney Morning Herald recently published an article about the fear of public speaking. The article shared that Chapman University in the USA published a survey that cited the fear of public speaking to be just behind a fear of sharks and ahead of a fear of snakes and spiders. In the UK, fear of public speaking was the third most common fear after a fear of heights and spiders.1
The study says between 60 and 70 per cent of people experience moderate to high levels of fear about speaking in front of others. Some people swear they’d feel more relaxed parachuting or bungee jumping. Even people who speak publicly a lot – business figures, advocates, sportspeople and entertainers – can feel dread at the prospect. ‘If we’re all honest,’ says public speaking anxiety researcher Lesley Irvine, ‘there’s going to be some situations where we all feel a degree of speaking anxiety.’2
And there is a word for this fear. Public speaking anxiety is known as ‘glossophobia’ – from the Greek for ‘tongue’ and ‘fear’.
The AMEB voice and communication course is a great way to overcome glossophobia.
English voice specialist Patsy Rodenburg says, ‘We can reclaim a passion for words by learning to use them with more craft and skill.’
How can the AMEB voice and communication syllabus help?
The AMEB voice and communication syllabus is designed to develop the candidate’s craft and skill in focusing on effective oral skills and the craft of compelling a listener to listen. We are compelled to listen because the speaker is irresistible and has mastered the craft and skills involved in speaking. The craft of speaking is one thing, but speaking with skill is something more.
The voice and communication syllabus aims to develop voice and communication skills both for everyday life and in the professional sector. Candidates will develop confidence to communicate and skills to:
• read effectively
• speak with clarity
• make presentations to a variety of audiences.
Preliminary to grade 3 exams are suitable for ages 6 and above – the emphasis is on reading expressively. The focus is on achieving fluency, ensuring that sounds, syllables, words and phrases are joined smoothly together during speech. The examination is about developing effective oral reading and engaging the candidate in conversation. Often, the examiner might have a conversation with a student about what they liked most in their program. Students are expected to understand the meaning of words in their pieces, and questions arise from the candidate’s work.
We look for eye contact and an exchange of ideas about the candidate’s program and interests, whether this involves Minecraft, playing cricket, learning the violin or being a member of the robotics club. The questions stem from the student’s interests and students are encouraged to expound on their interests.
We want students to enjoy their first exams! It's important to understand that a voice and communication examiner strives to find out what students know – not what they don’t know.
We want to dissipate examination anxiety, to establish that presenting can be fun, that sharing their interests is a fruitful experience and we want them to relish reading and speaking out loud.
In the higher grades, and as the pathway moves toward the diploma level, the content is designed for either secondary or tertiary students or people working in the corporate sector or broader community. The prose selections become more sophisticated – from encouraging others to read a piece of prose, to delivering non-fiction, to presenting a feature article, to choosing contrasting passages or presenting a range of poetry.
The choice is carefully scaffolded: from presenting a magic trick or explaining the function and usefulness of an object (in grade 4) to, in higher grades, sharing a concern about a world issue, giving an impromptu speech, or thanking a guest speaker. For example, a grade 6 candidate might introduce President Zelensky to the Polish Association and another might be invited to ‘imagine that the year is 1844 and we are in the Odd Fellows Hall in Baltimore…’. There is enormous freedom to create bespoke content from the foundation of the student’s interests.
We select age-appropriate tasks in the exam, presenting cases such as ‘P plate drivers should not be allowed to carry more than one passenger,’ or ‘Make a case for working from home,’ or ‘It is your responsibility to front the management committee where you work and present a case for a salary increase.’ Questions about the program are again focused on the student’s interests to engage them in conversation and seek personal responses.
Who are the students you would advise to study voice and communication?
I think there are students who show a natural propensity toward drama and are naturally expressive. These are the students who tend towards speech and performance. They like performing. Voice and communication students sometimes are more introverted or reticent. Often, they don’t have a wish to perform, but can see the importance of being able to speak with confidence and conviction. Some are there to develop more confident speaking skills.
Most students are convinced of the benefits – whether to speak with greater confidence as an impromptu speaker or debater, present compelling speeches at high school or to give spoken presentations at university. For example, I had a student who wanted a career in politics and international law, so he was driven to do voice and communication to improve his speaking ability. Grades for his tutorial presentations improved significantly. Some voice and communication students hope for careers in science and technology, medicine, law or business studies.
I once had a student who became a butcher tell me that his lessons gave him more confidence in sales. His butcher shop was exemplary! The communication skills he had developed made his butcher shop a great experience as a customer.
Voice and communication can be offered to industrious, high-achieving secondary students as a self-guided or self-directed course, and student achievement in higher grades is recognised by many tertiary institutions. Students who complete voice and communication studies for AMEB grade 8, certificate or diploma level in year 11 or year 12 may earn bonus points through the EAPL schemes of several universities, which can facilitate entry to a variety of university courses.
Most importantly, the voice and communication syllabus fosters confidence and skill in communication as well as effective interaction in a group setting.
The above article was presented at the speech and drama workshop held at AMEB (NSW) in May 2024. This abridged extract is reproduced with kind permission from AMEB speech and drama examiner Fran Curtis.
If you would like more information about the AMEB voice and communication syllabus, send your request by email. (office@ameb.nsw.edu.au)
1 Public Speaking: Why do we fear it and how to overcome it? SMH 14 April 2024
https://www.smh.com.au/national/i-ripped-my-pants-from-zipper-to-belt-how-to-turn-public-speaking-mishaps-into-gold-20240408-p5fi75.html
2 What do Britons say they have a phobia of? YouGov UK February 2023
https://yougov.co.uk/society/articles/45297-what-do-britons-say-they-have-phobia