溝通的自信 (Confidence in Communication)

好多人以為，溝通出問題，係語言能力唔夠。如果一個小朋友講得流利，我哋就會假設佢好識溝通；如果佢講得猶豫、停頓多，我哋就會覺得佢「唔夠字彙」。但呢個假設，其實係錯嘅。語言只係一個工具，而溝通，係「意思嘅傳遞」。兩者有關係，但並唔等於同一樣嘢。

真正嘅溝通，係一個人想表達嘅意思，能夠被另一個人以原本嘅方式理解。字詞可以幫助呢個過程，但單靠字詞，並唔保證一定會明白。字彙再豐富，都阻止唔到誤會；講得再順，都代替唔到清晰。正因如此，有啲人講得好自信，卻令人聽完一頭霧水；亦有啲人用好簡單嘅語言，卻即刻令人明白。溝通嘅自信，唔係來自「聽落流利」，而係來自「意思清楚」。

溝通，其實喺開口之前已經開始。佢始於一種意願——願意表達，亦願意接收。佢依賴信任、專注、時機同情境，亦會因為聽嘅係邊個、當下有幾多安全感，而有所改變。所以，同一個人喺唔同情況下，溝通方式可以好唔同。一個小朋友喺屋企講得好自在，喺學校卻變得沉默；一個大人喺朋友面前好肯定，面對權威時卻變得猶豫。呢啲轉變，唔係語言能力不足，而係對關係同環境嘅正常反應。

溝通，本質上永遠係一種關係。真正懂得溝通嘅人，會明白呢一點。佢哋唔會以為「自己講得清楚，就等於人哋一定明白」，而係會留意對方點樣接收訊息，察覺混亂或者遲疑，然後作出調整。佢哋選擇澄清意思，而唔係堅持用字。亦正因如此，聆聽同說話一樣重要。冇咗聆聽，溝通就會變成假設，人哋回應嘅，唔係你真正想講嘅意思，而係佢以為你講緊乜，誤會亦就此產生——唔係因為冇善意，而係因為從來冇確認過意思。

良好嘅溝通，係雙向嘅。被理解好重要，而理解別人，同樣重要。日常生活中大部分嘅溝通問題，唔係因為能力唔夠，亦唔係因為唔夠努力，而係因為太急於傳達意思，因為即時反應而唔係先聽清楚，因為只顧表達，卻忽略接收。真正嘅溝通自信，正正喺呢度形成——唔係講得更多，唔係講得更好，而係在乎「意思」，包括自己嘅意思，亦包括對方嘅意思。

對小朋友嚟講，呢個基礎尤其重要。當小朋友喺一個環境入面，佢嘅想法被聽見、被澄清、被認真對待，佢就會慢慢明白「意思」係點樣運作。佢哋會學到，溝通係一樣可以建立嘅能力，而唔係一場表演；被理解唔係為咗 impress 人，而係為咗清楚表達。當呢個基礎缺失，問題往往會喺其他地方浮現——混亂變成行為問題，未講出口嘅擔憂靜靜累積。好多我哋標籤為學習問題或者情緒問題嘅困難，其實一開始，係溝通出現咗斷裂，唔係因為小朋友唔識講，而係因為意思從來冇真正被交換過。

教育，唔係由技巧開始，而係由理解開始。語言學習，係建立喺呢個基礎之上，而唔係相反。當溝通穩定，語言就會變得有力量；當溝通唔穩，語言再高級，都會變得脆弱。溝通係一種實際技能，唔係抽象概念，佢存在於日常嘅每一個細節，亦會喺我哋慢落嚟、用心聆聽，並為「意思」負責——而唔只係為「用字」負責——嘅時候，不斷進步。

喺 Mud Pies，我哋幫小朋友建立英語自信，學識真誠表達自己。 

自信為先，然後表達自然就會跟上。

以下三條短片延伸今個月嘅主題，讓小朋友可以喺生活中慢慢建立語言自信：

1. 自信小故事 Confidence Story

2. 英語小貼士 English Tips

3. 英國生活小連結 UK Life Tie-in

想了解更多 Mud Pies 如何幫助孩子學好英文？ 請【返回主頁】。

Confidence in Communication

Many people think communication is a language problem. If a child speaks fluently, we assume they communicate well. If they hesitate or struggle, we assume they need more words. This assumption is wrong. Language is a tool. Communication is the transfer of meaning. They are related, but they are not the same thing.

Real communication happens when what one person intends to share is understood by another in the way it was meant. Words help with this, but words alone do not guarantee it. A large vocabulary cannot prevent misunderstanding. Smooth speech cannot replace clarity. This is why some people speak confidently yet leave others confused, while others use simple language and are immediately understood. Confidence in communication does not come from sounding fluent. It comes from being clear.

Communication begins before speech. It begins with willingness — to express, and to receive. It depends on trust, attention, timing, and context. It changes depending on who is listening and what feels safe to say. That is why the same person can communicate very differently in different situations. A child may speak freely at home and withdraw at school. An adult may sound certain with friends and uncertain with authority. These shifts are not weaknesses in language. They are normal responses to relationship and environment.

Communication is always relational. Good communicators understand this. They do not assume that speaking clearly means being understood. They pay attention to how their message is received. They notice confusion or hesitation and adjust. They clarify meaning instead of insisting on words.

This is also why listening matters as much as speaking. Without listening, communication collapses into assumption. People respond to what they think was said, not to what was meant. Misunderstanding follows — not because of poor intention, but because meaning was never checked.

Strong communication moves in two directions. Being understood matters. Understanding others matters just as much. Most communication problems in daily life do not come from lack of ability or effort. They come from rushing meaning. From reacting instead of listening. From focusing on expression while ignoring reception. This is where true confidence in communication forms — not from speaking more, not from speaking better, but from caring about meaning, both one’s own and another’s.

For children, this foundation is essential. When children grow up in environments where their thoughts are heard, clarified, and taken seriously, they learn how meaning works. They learn that communication is something they can build, not perform. They learn that being understood is not about impressing others, but about being clear.

When this foundation is missing, problems often appear elsewhere. Confusion turns into behaviour. Unspoken worries grow quietly. Many difficulties we label as academic or emotional begin as communication failures — not because children cannot speak, but because meaning was never fully exchanged.

Education does not start with skills. It starts with understanding. Language learning builds on this foundation, not the other way around. When communication is secure, language becomes powerful. When it is not, language becomes fragile, no matter how advanced it looks.

Communication is a practical skill, not an abstract idea. It shows up in everyday moments, and it improves when we slow down, listen carefully, and take responsibility for meaning — not just words.

At Mud Pies, we help children build real confidence and express themselves with clarity. 

Confidence comes first — and from there expressive English follows.

These three videos extend this month’s confidence theme:

1. Confidence Story

2. English Tips

3. UK Life Tie-in

Want to learn how Mud Pies supports confident English learners? Please visit our homepage.