What is oracy and why does it matter?
At its most basic level, oracy refers to the ability to speak and listen. The arguments for an oracy-focused curriculum are:
- Evidence of a positive impact on learning (see EEF research here).
- A low cost of implementation.
- Alignment with social-constructivist models of learning (e.g. inquiry-based or project-based learning).
- Benefits to confidence and social skills.
The challenge for multilingual schools adopting an oracy-focused approach is how to support learners who are still developing their oracy skills in the language of education so that they can access the benefits.
In this article, we will look at some of the key considerations and adaptations educators can make to ensure plurilingual learners are able to succeed in an oracy-rich curriculum.
The two pillars of oracy
First, we can observe that there are two aspects to teaching oracy or ‘two sides of the oracy coin’ as Mannion (2023) puts it. These are:
- Learning how to talk: acquiring the linguistic skills and knowledge required to communicate.
- Learning through talk: using oracy as a pedagogical tool for improving learning – this includes both learner activities that incorporate speaking and listening and the methods, strategies, and techniques used by teachers to promote oracy.
These are the two pillars of oracy and we’ll look at how each may need to be adapted in a multilingual school context.
Learning how to talk…if your first language is English
The oracy advocacy organisations Voice 21 and Oracy Cambridge have created a framework for the teaching of oracy in UK schools. This framework breaks down oracy skills into 4 areas as follows (the full version can be accessed here).
| Physical | This refers to the physical processes and skills involved in speech including pace, tonal variation, clarity of pronunciation, voice projection and body language. |
| Cognitive | This is the ability to convey and structure information and ideas, clarify and summarise, and verbally express reasoning. |
| Linguistic | This area refers to the knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, different registers and rhetorical techniques. |
| Social and emotional | This refers to the skills of being able to work with others, listen and respond in conversation, confidence in speaking, and tailoring speech to your audience. |
What should schools consider when teaching oracy skills to multilingual learners?
Whilst the above framework is undoubtedly a helpful way of categorising speaking and listening skills for curricular integration, this framework is aimed at first-language speakers of English and is unlikely to meet all the needs of EAL learners. So, what considerations might we need to think about when teaching these oracy skills in a multilingual classroom? Let’s take each area of the Voice 21 framework one at a time.
Considerations for multilingual classrooms – physical oracy skills
| Voice 21 framework | |
| Physical | Fluency and pace, tonal variation, clarify of pronunciation, voice projection, body language |
Considerations for multilingual classrooms – cognitive oracy skills
|
Voice 21 framework |
|
| Cognitive | Content, structure, clarifying and summarising, reasoning |
Considerations for multilingual classrooms – linguistic oracy skills
|
Voice 21 framework |
|
| Linguistic | Vocabulary, grammar, register and rhetorical techniques. |
Considerations for multilingual classrooms – social and emotional oracy skills
|
Voice 21 framework |
|
| Social and emotional | Working with others, listening and responding, confidence in speaking, audience awareness. |
The opportunities for language development within oracy programmes have the potential to be highly beneficial for EAL learners, if the specific needs and differences of plurilingual learners are taken into account. Ensuring school staff are aware of these considerations and can use them to inform planning and teaching will allow multilingual learners to thrive within an oracy-rich curriculum.