Nearly all learner drivers say one or more things have made them nervous or put them off learning altogether, including impatient instructors, driving on the motorway and driving during peak rush hours.
Delving into when they experience nerves most, 22% agree that while they were nervous at the beginning of learning, this stopped once they got behind the wheel. Despite this however, 38% still get nervous before each lesson, showing the importance of a calming presence in the car.
BBC News, Citadel and Billy Elliott Voice Coach Elspeth Morrison is working with AA Driving School to help instructors understand the importance of ‘performing’ and voice control when teaching, especially when dealing with nervous drivers.
Elspeth Morrison has provided practical tips to help them use a calm and reassuring voice when teaching. The training module will form part of AA Driving School’s instructor training going forwards. Her top tips include:
- Keep calm and clear in what you say and how you say it – practice out loud the instructions new drivers have to hear. Say them to the learner as if you were talking to a ‘friendly stranger’, i.e. avoid being overly familiar and a bit fast or too formal and stiff.
- Look after your voice and warm it up – most of us have a bit of a gravelly voice in the morning, so singing in the shower or on the way to your first lesson, or humming, are all a great way to warm your voice up.
- Keep moving whenever the opportunity arises – an Instructor’s job is mostly sedentary, so stretching and moving your shoulders are the easiest things to do when sat in a car for a long time. Use any excuse to move. Your body and voice will work much more efficiently if you do
- Think about what you’re eating and drinking – choose foods that will keep your energy up during your long days such as protein, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Avoid pasta, big sandwiches and chips as they can slow you down. And be aware that ‘claggy’ food such as biscuits, toast and chewing gum can make your speech less clear. Keep your fluids up too.
- Less is more - silence is fine, don’t feel you need to fill the silences by talking.
Mark Born, Head of the Driving Instructor Academy at AA Driving School also said: “Being a good driving instructor requires patience, understanding and an ability to communicate well with pupils, especially with those that are nervous about getting behind the wheel. It’s not enough just to know how to drive. Elspeth has shared some valuable tips and insight with AA driving instructor trainees to ensure they are aware of their tone of voice and the words they are using during lessons."
AA Driving Instructor and former West End actor, Darren Lord, has been able to use many of the skills he developed from running a successful production company in London’s West End, to a second career as an AA Driving Instructor in 2018. He said: “Having worked in theatre for two decades, the importance of one’s voice is something that I’ve always had to consider in my career.
“Whilst teaching people to drive may seem a world away from the theatre, there are many skills I developed over the years that have helped me as a driving instructor. From tweaking the tone and pitch of my voice in different scenarios when playing different characters, to being patient with colleagues when working on a new production.
“There is an element of having to ‘perform’ when teaching, and the voice you use is such an important part of that. Becoming a driving instructor has been such a rewarding second career for me, with the added benefit of giving me more flexibility around when I work and a better overall work-life balance.”
