ENCOURAGING ORACY IN SCHOOLS

Jane Prescott

There is a drive to embed speaking skills within education curriculums. Schools concentrate more on literacy and numeracy, especially at primary level, and even at secondary school there is little formal assessment of oracy. Yet very few once in gainful employment write essays as part of their day-to-day, but most employees use verbal communication skills all the time. Developing in children the ability to speak coherently and fluently is important.

Schools encourage the skill of oracy which goes beyond just developing the confidence to speak within the classroom, for example, by engineering question and answer sessions where all participants respectfully listen and contribute. Competitions which offer the chance to debate, discuss and present also help build skills. Conversation is complex and the rules surrounding interactions, not that easy to grasp. Schools can create situations where conversation skills are rehearsed. At Portsmouth High School, for example, form captain lunches provide this opportunity, along with networking careers’ events. Smart phones have affected the number of opportunities to converse and interactions take place via messaging which include emojis and other ways to express emotion but this is not a replacement for a face-to-face discussion. At home having no mobile phone allowed rules at the meal table, for example, encourages conversation. Talking when on journeys is another valuable use of time for a chat.

Non-verbal cues also help interactions such as tone of voice or use of facial expression. Eye contact is an important part of communication along with nodding. Knowing the questions to ask to keep conversation flowing is something to be taught and the common topics useful for creating a discussion. These skills are developed across the curriculum, but notably in subjects such as drama and musical theatre and in co-curricular clubs.

It might seem obvious but developing a wide-ranging vocabulary helps improve the quality of conversation and speaking. Being able to express yourself clearly and fluently is an advantage when being interviewed, for example, or in other situations where the power of persuasion is needed – for example in sales-type employment.

Schools concentrate on writing skills and this is important and through reading written expression and vocabulary is improved. However, becoming fluent when speaking is equally important. Schools play a huge part in this development by offering a variety of opportunities to speak which increases confidence and encourages even the quietest and most reticent to participate.