Oracy

Conclusions
This report finds that while teachers say oracy matters hugely, they are concerned that quality in
classrooms varies greatly. Furthermore, few schools do more than ask pupils to speak in assemblies, and
a minority provide training for teachers in oracy. In the longer-term a change of mindset so that teachers
and schools recognise that oracy is as critical for pupils’ development as literacy and numeracy will mean
more pupils both gain access to and develop their oracy. We suggest below a number of practical steps
would help set this in motion.
Key findings
This report set out to answer four questions:
What is oracy?
• Oracy can be defined as the development of children’s capacity to use speech to express their
thoughts and communicate with others in education and in life, and talk through which teaching
and learning is mediated. xxxviii
• Teachers recognise that oracy can represent both learning to talk and learning through talk.
• Primary teachers are more likely to emphasise ‘exploratory’ talk compared to their secondary
colleagues, who in turn stress the importance of ‘final draft’ language used in presentations and
debates.
Does oracy matter?
• Our synthesis of existing research, and our survey findings, case studies, and interviews with key
informants show that oracy possesses a broad range of educational and personal benefits.
• Teachers across the country feel oracy is critically important, and are more likely to say it is
‘very important’ they develop pupils’ skills in oracy than in numeracy (although in practice
this does not always play out, with factors including a lack of time limiting the quality and
consistency of oracy in lessons).
• Teachers feel oracy is valuable because it can underpin pupils’ development linguistically,
socially and emotionally. Given the importance placed by employers on the ability to
communicate, though, teachers surprisingly do not tend to link oracy with pupils’ economic
and employment prospects.
• Teachers primarily view the benefits of oracy in terms of their own pupils’ needs. Teachers
working with more disadvantaged pupils feel strongly that oracy will help their pupils
develop the skills they need to succeed in school, and later in life.
How do teachers and schools develop oracy?
• While teachers report regularly using pedagogy that supports oracy, interviewees express
concern that classroom provision is patchy.
• In general schools do little to support and extend opportunities for oracy, with a minority
doing more than asking pupils to present occasionally in assemblies. Few schools
evaluate the quality of pupils’ verbal contributions in lessons or communicate with parents
about their children’s oracy.
• Teachers in our survey overwhelmingly feel oracy is best incorporated into regular
classroom teaching, but a number of interviewees say that teaching oracy discretely can
both increase its status and ensure pupils from all backgrounds develop confidence and
ability as spoken communicators.
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Based on Alexander, 2012: 10.