During a visit to the United Arab Emirates, I was invited to speak to college students to learn more about how the country is preparing the next generation for a post-oil future. I met with students who were required to present their final projects in a 3-minute pitch to members of the ruling family. Now, that’s pressure. It was mandatory because learning the art of public-speaking is no longer an option to succeed in the 21st century; it’s fundamental.
Educators who I’ve met across the Middle East, Europe and Asia, say they are elevating the art of public speaking to a core requirement along with math and science. Chris Anderson, the curator of TED, encourages schools in the U.S. to make “presentation literacy” a requirement in grade school. In Anderson’s book, TED Talks, he writes: “At a time when the right idea presented the right way can ripple across the world at the speed of light…public speaking is the key to unlocking empathy, stirring excitement, sharing knowledge and insights, and promoting a shared dream.”
Simply put, schools in the United States should be giving students more opportunities to practice public speaking—not less. But there’s a wrinkle.
According to a recent article in The Atlantic, some American middle-school and high-school students are advocating for the elimination of mandatory in-class presentations. A 15-year-old student quoted in the article said, “Stop forcing students to present in front of the class and give them a choice not to.”
Their anxiety is real. In his book, Social, UCLA psychology professor Matthew Lieberman writes, “Our brains crave the positive evaluation of others almost to an embarrassing degree.” That’s why most of us get anxious about public-speaking. Anxiety can turn into full-blown panic attacks or create life-long fears.
As an author whose books are used in public-speaking classes around the world, I can add perspective that might satisfy both students and teachers. First, I’ll explain why public-speaking skills are more important than ever. Second, I’ll offer four alternatives teachers can use to help students overcome their anxiety and enjoy public-speaking. Yes, they can learn to enjoy it, which will give them a competitive advantage in the knowledge economy.
Public-Speaking Skills Are More important Than Ever
Persuasion—one person convincing another person to change their mind—is now responsible for 25% of America’s total income, according to University of Illinois economist and historian, Deirdre McCloskey. The percentage will rise to 40% soon, she assured me. It’s a terrible idea to reduce public speaking opportunities in class at a time when students need the skill to succeed.
In Thank You for Being Late, globalist and author Thomas Friedman argues that the lifelong skills people need to compete in the future still include the “three Rs–reading, writing, and arithmetic–and more of the four Cs–creativity, collaboration, communication, and coding.”
Simply put: As the forces of globalization, automation and artificial intelligence combine to disrupt every career and to eliminate millions of jobs, the ability to communication, inspire, collaborate and motivate became more important, not less. Today, anyone who is better at presenting their ideas can see a sudden, massive increase in wealth that is unprecedented in human history.
Given the fact that public-speaking is more important today than ever, it makes no sense to reduce the time students spend in school devoted to honing the craft. Here are four proven alternatives that will help students get better at public speaking without the panic.
Four Alternatives To In-Class Presentations
Social anxiety is exacerbated when people feel as though they’ve lost control. Give them a sense of control over their choices, and they’ll feel better about the assignment. Teachers, don’t put so much emphasis on one presentation at the end of the term. Instead, find ways to build the skill of public-speaking every day, throughout the entire curriculum.
1. Make public-speaking a daily habit. School 21 in Stratford, London, elevates public speaking to the same level as math and reading. The difference is that they give children the ability to shine in different contexts. Some are terrified of delivering a presentation in front of a group, but are more talkative when paired up with another classmate to discuss a subject. In doing so, they are taught to listen to alternative views, challenge ideas, and argue for their positions. It builds their confidence, increases empathy, and raises their empathy.
2. Turn presentations into conversations. The thought of giving “a presentation” sends even successful CEOs into panic mode. I’ve seen it happen. The trick is to soften the assignment. Ask for “conversations” instead. After all, a good presentation is like having a conversation with friends. In conversation, you speak simply, use informal language, and tell stories.
Teachers, don’t assign the majority of a student’s grade to just one presentation at the end of the semester. Give them opportunities to share parts of their project or assignments throughout the school year and give them options on how to do so. If they choose to use slides, they can. If they choose to bring in their artwork and explain it, they can. If they would like to use a whiteboard or chalkboard to visualize their topic, they can. If they choose to create a rap song around their project, they can. Turn “presentations” into fun activities to share your students’ exciting ideas and skills.
3. Record a presentation followed by a live Q&A. For some presentations, give students a choice between two options. Option A is to deliver the presentation live in front of the class. Option B is to record the presentation at home or, better yet, in a location that’s relevant to the subject. The video is played in class and the teacher/students can ask questions about the topic after the video ends. As students begin to learn that people respond positively to their ideas, it will give them more confidence to speak up more in class.
4. Encourage Team Presentations. Twice a year I teach a communication course in the office of executive education at Harvard. My students are real estate developers from around the world who have more than 20 years of experience in their fields. They all have to perform an individual presentation for their final assignment. You’d think that wealthy, successful leaders would be confident about delivering a 10-minute presentation, but many are anxious for weeks ahead of the presentation.
One strategy that alleviates anxiety, boosts confidence, and enhances collaboration is to assign team presentations before individual presentations (which we save for the last two weeks of the program). In team presentations, four or five students collaborate on a presentation around one assigned topic. They build slides, assign roles, and finally deliver the team presentation in front of peers and faculty members. Many students tell me the team presentations alleviate anxiety because no one person is carrying the entire load. The team presentations also build their confidence because they’ve had exposure to the stress of presenting in front of their peers.
Team presentations among a small group of students give them a small exposure to the anxiety—just enough to stretch them, but not enough to trigger a full-blown panic attack. Once they see their teammates react positively and they receive the approval of their peers, it gives an anxious student more confidence to go it alone.
In the age of ideas, public-speaking is the single greatest skill that students need to learn, grow and inspire the rest of us to dream bigger. If students enjoy the process of building their public-speaking skills, they’ll learn to love it.