Why all the talk about oracy?
It seems almost impossible at the moment to avoid the conversation about importance of oracy in education – and rightly so. As James Britton once said, ‘Reading floats on a sea of talk’ (Britton, 1970, p. 164), but good oracy skills go further than that. Strong oracy skills are essential for our young learners to communicate, articulate, innovate, and develop social and emotional skills.
Released in October 2024, the Oracy Education Commission report ‘We need to talk’ highlights the need for us to consider oracy as being the fourth ‘R’ in education, giving it equal status to reading, writing and maths. The main recommendations of the report include:
- ‘An increased emphasis on oracy education to better prepare all young people to become fulfilled future citizens and combat increasing polarisation and misinformation.
- Recognition of the essential role of oracy as a building block for reading, writing and students’ academic progression through school.
- Acknowledgement of the rising importance of oracy skills in an AI-transformed labour market to ensure young people are well-prepared for success in the workplace’.
The report findings indicate broad support for oracy education. It states that ‘parents want it, the economy demands it, democracy needs it, teachers welcome it, and our children deserve it.’
Despite some areas of strong practice in oracy education, the picture is patchy and inconsistent. So, what can leaders and teachers begin to do to develop effective approaches to oracy in schools?
1. Clarify understanding of what oracy is
The ambiguity of definitions of oracy can make it challenging for schools to agree on effective practice and expectations. Talk takes place in classrooms on a daily basis, which can lead to confusion over the what, the how, pedagogy and process. If we are not careful, the term oracy could be used to describe everything already taking place in the classroom and, as a result, practice won’t change. The Oracy Education Commission define oracy as ‘Articulating ideas, developing understanding and engaging with others through speaking, listening and communication.’
There are three components to oracy education, and the understanding of these is more likely to result in intentional cultivation of effective oracy.
An effective oracy curriculum will consider how these three aspects of talk can be nurtured and developed across the curriculum.
2. Begin to consider how to approach oracy in school
Schools should aim to implement an engaging and effective oracy curriculum that encompasses the aspects of learning to talk, learning through talk and learning about talk. Each of these aspects of oracy can be implemented at a whole school level through a range of activities across the curriculum. Approaches to developing oracy may differ across subject areas depending on context and desired outcomes for pupils. As well as considering the aspects of oracy above, it is worth noting the four strands of oracy – physical, linguistic, cognitive, and social and emotional. A balanced oracy curriculum should ensure that pupils have opportunities to develop skills in all areas.
A good place to start is the Voice 21 website, which explains the oracy framework, oracy benchmarks and shares case studies of schools who have implemented an oracy curriculum. Once this exploratory work has been done, leaders can begin to think about how to map this curriculum, develop CPD opportunities for staff, and begin to build a whole school ethos of oracy teaching.
Ready to find out more?
If you would like further support to develop oracy in school, our team can provide guidance and training with this.
