Listen, Speak, Learn: Building Oracy Skills
Willy Renandya, 21 Feb 2025
In today’s world, the ability to communicate effectively is more crucial than ever. This is where oracy, the skill of speaking and listening fluently, becomes essential. While the term might sound technical, it simply refers to the ability to express oneself clearly and engage in meaningful conversations with others. To understand how to develop oracy, we can look at two key aspects: oracy as competence and oracy for learning.
Let’s explore these concepts in a straightforward and relatable way, using practical classroom examples to make these ideas come alive.
Oracy as Competence: Building Communication Skills
Think of oracy as competence as the foundation of good communication. It’s all about mastering the basics of speaking and listening so that you can express your thoughts, share ideas, and understand others effectively. Whether it’s having a casual chat, giving a presentation, or working in a group, this dimension focuses on the practical skills needed to communicate well.
For children learning a second language (L2), this is especially important. They need to learn not just the words and grammar of the new language, but also how to use it in real-life situations. This means practicing how to start conversations, ask questions, and respond appropriately. Over time, these skills help them become confident speakers and active listeners, which is crucial for both social interactions and academic success.
Classroom Examples of Oracy as Competence
- Role-Playing Scenarios: Imagine a classroom where students are practicing how to discuss a new game app in their second language. One student plays the role of a developer explaining the game’s features, while another acts as a curious user asking questions. They practice phrases like, “What makes this game unique?” and “How do you unlock the next level?” This kind of role-playing helps students build confidence in using the language in real-world situations, such as sharing opinions or exploring new tech trends with friends.
- Show and Tell: A classic activity where students bring an object from home and talk about it in front of the class. For example, a student might bring a toy and say, “This is my favorite toy. I got it for my birthday. It’s a robot, and it can walk and talk.” This activity helps students practice organizing their thoughts and speaking clearly.
- Listening Games: Teachers can use activities like running dictation to help students practice active listening and teamwork. In this game, a short text is placed at one end of the room. One student runs to read the text, memorizes a portion, and then runs back to dictate it to their partner, who writes it down. The pair works together to accurately reconstruct the entire text. This activity teaches students to listen carefully, communicate clearly, and pay attention to details, all while engaging in a fun and energetic challenge.
- Pair Work: Students work in pairs to complete a task, like describing a picture to their partner without showing it. For example, one student might describe a picture of a park, saying, “There’s a big tree in the middle, and two children are playing on the swings.” The other student has to draw the picture based on the description. This activity helps students practice clear communication and listening skills.
Oracy for Learning: Using Talk to Think and Learn
While oracy as competence is about the how of communication, oracy for learning is about the why. This dimension sees talk as a powerful tool for thinking, understanding, and learning. Instead of just listening to a teacher delivering a lesson, students use talk to explore ideas, solve problems, and make sense of new information.
In this approach, classrooms become lively spaces where students talk to each other and their teachers. They might work in small groups to discuss a topic, debate different viewpoints, or explain their thinking out loud. This kind of interactive learning helps students dig deeper into subjects and develop critical thinking skills.
For L2 learners, this is especially important when the language they’re learning is also the language they’re using to study other subjects, like social studies or science. If they struggle to speak or listen effectively, it can hold them back in their overall learning. That’s why helping them develop strong oracy skills is so important—it’s not just about language class; it’s about succeeding in all areas of school.
Classroom Examples of Oracy for Learning
- Think-Pair-Share: This is a simple but effective activity where students first think about a question on their own, then discuss it with a partner, and finally share their ideas with the whole class. For example, the teacher might ask, “What do you think makes a good friend?” Students think about it, talk to their partner, and then share their thoughts. This encourages students to articulate their ideas and learn from each other.
- Group Discussions: In a science class, students might work in small groups to discuss a topic like “Why do leaves change colour in the fall?” Each group shares their ideas, and the teacher guides the discussion by asking follow-up questions like, “What do you think causes the leaves to turn red or yellow?” This helps students use language to explore scientific concepts.
- Debates: Debates are a great way to get students thinking critically and using language to persuade others. For example, the class might debate a topic like, “Should students wear school uniforms every day?” Students take turns presenting their arguments and responding to each other’s points. This helps them practice organizing their thoughts and speaking persuasively.
- Socratic Seminars: In this activity, students sit in a circle and discuss a text or topic in depth. The teacher might ask open-ended questions like, “What do you think the author is trying to say here?” or “How does this relate to your own life?” Students build on each other’s ideas, and the teacher acts as a facilitator, guiding the conversation without dominating it. This encourages deep thinking and collaborative learning.
How These Two Dimensions Work Together
At first glance, oracy as competence and oracy for learning might seem like separate ideas, but they actually go hand in hand. The first gives students the tools they need to communicate effectively, while the second shows them how to use those tools to think, learn, and grow. Together, they create a well-rounded approach to oracy development that supports students in both their personal and academic lives.
For teachers, this means balancing the teaching of practical communication skills with opportunities for students to use language as a way to explore and understand the world. It also means being mindful of the diverse needs of students, especially in classrooms where multiple languages are spoken, and finding ways to support each learner’s unique journey.
What’s Next for Oracy Development?
As technology continues to evolve, there are exciting new ways to support oracy development. Tools like speech recognition apps, virtual reality, and online discussion platforms can give students more opportunities to practice speaking and listening in interactive, engaging ways. For example, students might use an app to practice pronunciation or participate in a virtual debate with students from another country. These tools can make learning more dynamic and fun.
At the same time, ongoing research into how oracy skills impact long-term learning will help educators find even better ways to support students. For instance, studies might explore how early oracy development affects later academic success or how teachers can best support bilingual students in developing strong speaking and listening skills in both their home language and their second language.
Conclusion
In the end, oracy is about more than just talking and listening—it’s about empowering students to communicate confidently, think critically, and engage meaningfully with the world around them. By focusing on both oracy as competence and oracy for learning, we can help young learners build the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond. Whether it’s through role-playing, group discussions, or debates, there are countless ways to bring oracy into the classroom and make learning a lively, interactive experience. So let’s give our students the gift of oracy—it’s a skill they’ll use for life!
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