Literacy news

'Kevin the teenager’ male stereotype 'so unfair’

4 May 2011

Boys are more confident communicators than girls, particularly when speaking in front of their classmates and teachers, according to the first large-scale UK survey of young people’s views on communication skills.

The new research from independent charity the National Literacy Trust and The Communication Trust, commissioned as part of the Hello campaign (the national year of communication) surveyed 6,865 young people aged between 8 and 16.

69% of boys compared to 57% of girls said they were either ‘very confident’ or ‘confident’ when speaking in front of classmates. The research found that more boys than girls value and realise the importance of communication skills, believing that if you speak well it makes you seem more intelligent and that people judge you on the words and phrases that you use. Boys were also more confident in talking with teachers(81% compared with 78%).

 The research also discovered that:

• Boys are more likely than girls to strongly agree that communication skills are taken for granted (32% vs 23%).
• Boys see a danger that they will not be taken seriously if they don’t express their views clearly (66% of boys think this compared with 58% of girls).
• More boys are more likely to feel very confident explaining their point of view than girls (35% vs 29%).
• 47% of boys strongly agree that good communication skills give them confidence in social situations compared to only 39% of girls.
• Girls place less importance on being well-spoken - they are more likely than boys to disagree that those with ‘posh accents’ are better speakers (46% vs 39%).
• When asked about factors affecting good communication, girls are more likely to think it is important to see the other person’s face (69% girls vs 64% boys) while boys are more likely to think it is important to hear other people’s voices (84% boys vs 79% girls)
• Overall most young people believe the family play a crucial role in developing children’s communication skills. However, more boys than girls believe that children should just ‘pick up’ communication skills (19% vs 15%). 

Director of charity the National Literacy Trust, which works to improve reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, Jonathan Douglas, says:

“In the national year of communication, it’s heartening to see a new ‘voice conscious’ generation of boys emerging. While many people believe teenage boys are not the most articulate members of society, like Harry Enfield’s ’Kevin the teenager’ character, our research shows this is an outdated view. The survey paints a completely different picture of young males as confident communicators who are incredibly aware of the important role communication skills play in a successful school, work and social life.

“Sadly, young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to gain the communication skills they need for success. This is why we are taking business volunteers into schools to work with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to help them develop the vital skills they need for working environments.”

Read the full media release here.

Tags: Adults, Children, Families, Words for Work, Young People

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