St Edmund's

Power of Public Speaking (and effective listening)

It is often said that public speaking is the greatest phobia. Indeed, something like 75% of the population rank it as their most terrifying fear. Believe it or not, it is statistically more significant than the fear of spiders and even the fear of death!

However, the ability to communicate effectively with others in a variety of forums is an essential life skill. It is also one we take very seriously at St Edmund’s and a few recent events have underlined this.

Last week, our senior debating team competed with distinction in the Regional Final of the ESU Mace Debating Competition at Benenden, going toe to toe with some of the finest debaters in the South-East. They are articulate, of course, but they have also become highly effective listeners, thinking on their feet and responding to the arguments of their opponents.

Last Friday, the Conservative MP for Herne Bay and Sandwich Sir Roger Gale gave a politics workshop at St Edmund’s and I was immensely proud of our Year 11 scholars and Sixth Formers who listened intently and then grilled him energetically (and persistently) on a range of topics from Brexit, to Trump, Conservative party strategy and the leadership of Kemi Badenoch.

All impressive stuff but imagine speaking in public in your second language.

On Monday this week, in front of four hundred people in the Head’s assembly, Domenika, one of our students from Ukraine, gave a brilliant and illuminating report on the recent life drawing class provided at the school in conjunction with East Kent Schools Together.  She explained the importance to artists of drawing life models and the technical challenges that it creates using a range of complex ideas and vocabulary.  The pupils appreciated the public speaking achievement and Domenika received a generous round of applause.

And then yesterday, five of our international boarders gave a brilliant drama performance for seventy-five guests.  All were acting in their second language, and some had no drama experience before arriving here.  They gave us their own interpretation of Jane Eyre in the style of Knee-High Theatre; incorporating puppetry, dance and their own originally composed music. It was a tremendous achievement, and I congratulate the director Aimee Walker-Reid on a highly accomplished production.

So, the art of public speaking and performance is nurtured at St Edmund’s.  We encourage our young people to express themselves clearly and effectively but also with humility and sensitivity to the views of others.

That is because, as Churchill said “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”