奇速英语

A father who makes his sons give a PowerPoint presentation when they want more pocket money says it helps them to grow in confidence.

Phil Quickenden, who lives near Woodbridge, Suffolk, came up with the idea after learning his son Joshua, 15, was not participating in class. He believed two years of lockdown had had an impact on his eldest child’s speaking skills. He said being able to articulate(明确表达) and influence others was essential.

Mr Quickenden’s youngest son, Sam, 10, also started giving a presentation to his parents, to explain why he should have a new video game or money for items outside of his monthly pocket money. Sam had “always been confident in terms of his peers, but has developed that”, said Mr Quickenden. “He’s much more articulate and happy to engage, so it’s had a positive impact,” he added.

“It was a great way for them to test their skills, build up their confidence and fill some of that gap from lockdown when they missed some of those socialisation opportunities,” said Mr Quickenden. As a result, he said his eldest son Joshua had grown in confidence, both in the classroom and with friends. The civil servant, who makes “a lot” of presentations for work, said schools should do more to develop skills in public speaking.

A lot of his younger staff, who were technically capable of using Powerpoint, lacked the skill to be engaging, according to Mr Quickenden. “They can technically put together some slides, but it’s something different to stand up in front of people and get your point across clearly and articulately,” he said. “But crucially it’s about confidence—being able to stand up in front of a group and say your piece. I think it’s really important.”

Mr Quickenden said the needs of the workplace had changed significantly over the last 15 years, and particularly during Covid. “I think as technology builds and takes over, those human interactions become more and more important,” he said. “Being able to... engage with somebody is something a computer will never be able to do.”