Teachers from primary/early years education all the way through to higher education are interested in how to foster students’ skills in oracy and speaking/listening. The EA has a particular interest in the relationship between oracy and social justice, and is working to offer leadership for the discipline on this issue. The Education Committees are coming together to link all phases of education from early years to university study around this important topic.
What we’re doing
- In 2023 and 2024 special issues of our publications English, The Use of English, and the Newsletter will explore oracy practice, policy, and research in primary, secondary, further, and higher education. The Spring 2024 issue of English 4-11 included a group of articles on oracy.
- Collating a bank of key resources, readings, signature subject-specific pedagogies, and vocabulary terms related to oracy, to ensure a good understanding of the challenges and current thinking across all phases of education
- Fostering meaningful exchange across all phases of education by bringing all the EA’s education committees together to work on this issue
- Representing the interests of EA members on key issues related to oracy, including the DfE’s consultation on the proposed National Qualification in Primary Literacy, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on oracy, and the Primary Research Collective, an initiative which is led by the UKLA with participants from subject associations across English and primary education.
The real evidence about effective English teaching
Robust evidence that shows how to get better marks in English Explore cutting-edge, quantifiable research about effective teaching practices in English, which will support colleagues teaching Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 in ensuring their teaching practices set their students up for success. The academic article ‘Teachers’ use of class time and student achievement’…
Voice and verse: Poetry By Heart for 4-7-year-olds
Opening up the world of poetry for 4-7 year olds with Poetry By Heart’s new timeline anthology for younger children In this webinar, we’ll start with an interactive demonstration of the new Poetry By Heart timeline anthology of poems for children – the features you can see here and the extras we’ll be adding for…
Teaching oracy through authentic classroom talk tasks
How to use authentic speaking scenarios to teach discrete communication skills such as voice, structure, pace, pause, gesture and emphasis This workshop will explore how we can make sure talk opportunities in the classroom are relevant, realistic, and reflective of learners’ real lives and needs. We will consider how purposeful spoken language tasks can give…
The EA joins open letter to Prime Minister on oracy in the curriculum
Voice21 brings together teachers, academics, researchers and leaders to call on Sir Keir Starmer to honour his pledge to embed oracy in the curriculum Voice 21 is the UK’s oracy education charity, working with schools to transform the learning and life chances of young people through talk and campaigning for oracy to have a higher…
Speaking Citizens: connecting communities
Speaking Citizens: connecting communities Monday 7 October 2024 | 12:00 noon – 6:30 pm Europe House, 32 Smith Square, London SW1P 3EU Aimed at classroom teachers, school leaders, academics, charity representatives, funders and employers, we will convene communities to celebrate recent research publications and discuss next steps for oracy and citizenship in education and society.…
Developing a spoken language curriculum
Following several key publications, many schools are working hard to develop children’s oracy across the curriculum, enabling them to talk and think together to build their understanding of important ideas and concepts. However, in their recent publication ‘Telling the story: the English education subject report’, Ofsted suggests that schools make sure that the national curriculum…
Oracy education: Perspectives from research, policy, and practice
Join contributors to the summer issue of the EA Newsletter to continue the discussion around oracy education. This event is free to attend and all are welcome. The summer Newsletter included the following articles: Editorial: The Uses of Oracy Arlene Holmes-Henderson and Tom F. Wright Introducing the Commission on the Future of Oracy Education in…
An Oscar-winning performance? Reading Aloud in the Primary Classroom
How effective and confident are you in reading aloud to your class? It can be a daunting experience with a new text whether you’re an ECT or you’ve been teaching for years. Join author and storyteller Margaret Bateson Hill, Trust English lead Suzanne Hughes and reading for pleasure consultant Becci Smith as they discuss and…
Newsletter 236 Summer 2024 (extract)
Oracy education: perspectives from research, policy, and practice (extract)
The English Association’s response to the Commission on the Future of Oracy Education
The Commission on the Future of Oracy Education in England is an independent Commission established to examine the vital skills of speaking and listening, at a time of unprecedented technological and social change. The Commission will examine the aims and purpose of oracy in schools and propose a blueprint for how an effective oracy entitlement…
The Use of English 75.2 Spring 2024
English 4-11 80 Spring 2024
Helicopter Stories: Supporting the development of language, literacy, and community across Early Years
This session introduces the Helicopter Stories method of developing language and literacy in Early Years. It involves a talk with Gail Alder, the author of an English 4-11 article on Helicopter Stories, and Alison Stead and Cathryn Twine, representatives from a nursery who incorporate this new method in their settings. Helicopter Stories is a scheme which was…
Article: GCSE English: Let’s recognise speaking and listening
By Elizabeth Draper (FEA), English and Further Education specialist (@draperel)
Article: ’I’m going to become you, as you become me’ – Listening, Noting, Retelling. Developing Empathy & Oracy through Story-Exchanging : A Way Forward
By Elizabeth Draper (FEA), English and Further Education specialist (@draperel)
Primary Literacy Research Collaborative: Research Briefing
The English Association, as part of the Primary Literacy Research Collaborative, has written to the Education Ministers in all four nations and the opposition parties in England to share a research briefing on Experiences of Literacy in Lockdown: What can we learn? and to offer support in developing literacy education in primary schools that is…
