CHILDREN and young people aged 5-17 are struggling to make friends because they lack self-confidence in speaking to other children, a new survey shows. 

Nearly a third of parents/grandparents surveyed in the East of England (32%)¹ say their children and grandchildren are struggling to make friends because they lack self-confidence in speaking to other children, according to the survey by Censuswide, which was commissioned by charity the English-Speaking Union.  

Almost a quarter of parents/grandparents surveyed in the East of England (22%)² said that school and nursery school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on their child’s or grandchild’s speech and language development. 65% of respondents said their child/grandchild has only partially regained the social skills they lost, while 8% say they have not regained them at all. 

Nationally, a lack of confidence in speaking and expressing themselves has been found to be holding back the 16-24-age group. Seven in ten (71%) 16-24-year-olds surveyed agree³ their lack of confidence in speaking or expressing themselves is holding them back. Almost two thirds (63%) of respondents this age, say they always or often struggle to find the right words to express how they’re feeling. Almost nine out of ten (85%) respondents of this age who did not receive any think receiving specific support at school for speaking and listening (oracy), would have helped⁴ them progress better in their career and life generally.  

The survey findings published by the English-Speaking Union follows the 2021 Oracy All-Party Parliamentary Group Inquiry, Speak for Change, when two thirds of primary teachers (69%) and nearly half of secondary teachers (44%) said school closures had a negative effect on the spoken language development of students eligible for pupil premium, compared with 1 in 5 teachers for their most advantaged pupils. 

The English-Speaking Union is an international membership and education charity which works with teachers and schools to support the development of all children’s speaking and listening ability (oracy) and cross-cultural understanding as a foundation skill for life.  

Annabel Thomas MacGregor, Director of Education at the English-Speaking Union, says: “Oracy is a skill for life. Our aim is for oracy to be incorporated into the curriculum in the same way that maths or literacy is, as we believe these skills are fundamental to academic and personal success. Oracy is essentially the ability to communicate well, to articulate your thoughts, to be able to speak clearly to a range of audiences and in a range of contexts with confidence. It’s also about being able to agree to disagree, respecting other people’s opinions and using verbal skills to make your mark on the world.” 

“As an education charity, the English-Speaking Union is passionate about social mobility and equality and ensuring that all children have the chance to thrive and to reach their full potential through effective speaking and listening skills.” 

Following a successful pilot and building on its successful ‘Discover Your voice’ workshops for schools the English-Speaking Union has recently launched ‘Oracy in Action’, a comprehensive programme of lesson plans and resources for primary schools.