Shub, the Confident Communicator

A Later-Life Diagnosis

While studying at Trinity Theological College in Bristol, Shub found himself returning to education after a long absence. For years, he had faced unspoken challenges with learning, but it wasn't until a formal assessment just before university that he received a diagnosis of dyslexia.

Receiving his assistive technology halfway through his course gave Shub a sharp point of comparison.

"It kind of gave me like the realisation of, wow, like what life would be like without it and what life is with it basically. And I think it's amazing. It's an amazing tool."

Managing Speech and Pronunciation

Working in church spaces means Shub is constantly engaged in public speaking, preaching, and teaching. However, his dyslexia directly impacts his pronunciation, making live presentations a source of anxiety. In his mind, the words sounded correct, but the reality was often different.

Shub began using the presentation and recording capabilities of Genio Present to practice his speaking and listen back to his delivery.

"One of my parts of dyslexia is pronunciations... so when I'm on the presentation, I try to take out some of the words I realised that I can't pronounce properly... and be like, okay, let me put something a bit more comfortable in saying."

By listening to his own recordings, Shub can identify which phrases trip him up and swap them out for language he feels completely fluent delivering. The software also provides feedback on areas where he can improve, such as pacing or storytelling consistency.

Building Public Speaking Confidence

For Shub, the true value of the software lies in how it transforms his connection with his congregation. Instead of worrying about mechanics, he can focus entirely on the people in front of him.

"It's been a massive, massive help in confidence as well. Because when you practice so much... you're more confident when you're actually speaking in public because you're more comfortable in what you're about to say and how you're about to say it as well."

Ultimately, the software serves as a tool for self-evaluation, allowing Shub to put himself in the shoes of his audience.

"It's mainly for growing my confidence, my speaking, listening and saying, does it make sense to me if I were sitting at the back? Would I understand?"

Watch the video to hear more about Shub's experience with Genio Notes: