By: Serena Greenslade
Many children attend after school clubs, sometimes because it's an easy way to get a child minder, sometimes because the child loves the activity and sometimes because the parents think it will
Many children attend after school clubs, sometimes because it's an easy way to get a child minder, sometimes because the child loves the activity and sometimes because the parents think it will benefit their children in terms of confidence and social skills. Now, children can have fun, increase their confidence and communication skills and gain Ucas points.
For those who don't know, Ucas is a clearing house for applications for virtually all undergraduate degree programmes at British universities or colleges.
UCAS has a tariff system (more commonly known as UCAS points), which allows qualifications to be converted into points (e.g. an A at A Level is worth 120 points) and then added together to give a total that can be used as a requirement to get into a course (a course may require 260 points, for example). The UCAS Tariff now attempts to cover all UK qualifications and some foreign qualifications.
From 2008 LAMDA Advanced Graded Speech and Drama exams will be included in this tariff and students can gain between 20 and 65 points depending on grade and pass mark.
LAMDA exams can be taken in most areas of the country and it seems common sense to me to start taking these exams at a young age. Ucas points start at grade 6 and if a student wants to maximise their points they really need to aim for a good pass at grade 8. Obviously the more experience you have the better you will be. If you would like to benefit from these exams but don't fancy going to one of the franchised drama schools, look up 'elocution teachers' on one of the search engines. These teachers will offer individual tuition and the exams need not be in acting. Other subjects include 'Reading for Performance' which is what it says - reading aloud a programme of work, 'The Speaking Verse and Prose' where you will recite poetry and prose to an examiner and 'Public Speaking' where you will be required to give talks on various topics.
If you're a little quiet and shy I would suggest studying for the Reading for Performance exams. These exams seem to suit less confident students because they have the words in front of them and don't feel as exposed as they would if they were acting. However, I must point out that they are not an easy option as far as technique is concerned - only the best performances will pass.
Studying for these exams will not only gain you Ucas points but will greatly increase your confidence during the interview stage of applying for university places.
Serena Greenslade is a qualified elocution teacher and teaches people from the age of three how to communicate confidently. She is also one of the principal teacher at the ABC Theemers Theatre Group in the South of England. http://www.afraid-of-speaking-a-speech.com
