Oracy Unlocked: A Practical Guide to Teaching and Learning through Speaking and Listening

Oracy—the ability to speak articulately with confidence and fluency—is one of the most essential yet overlooked disciplines in education today. While we place great emphasis on literacy and numeracy, oracy remains the key to unlocking student potential across all subjects. It is not just a tool for effective communication; it is a powerful driver of deeper learning, critical thinking, and social mobility.  The  course will cover:

Understanding Oracy
Definition and components of oracy: physical, linguistic, cognitive, and emotional.
The impact of oracy on academic success and personal development.
Overview of oracy development from early years to early secondary education.

Foundations of Oracy in the Classroom
Setting up a supportive oracy environment.
Simple oracy activities: storytelling, show and tell, and discussion circles.
Techniques for enhancing student engagement and participation.

Advanced Oracy Techniques
Debates, persuasive speeches, and formal presentations.
Role-plays, drama techniques, and hot seating.
Using technology to enhance oracy: podcasts, video blogs, and digital storytelling.

Oracy across the Curriculum
Integrating oracy in all subjects through explanations and argumentation.
Enhancing literary studies 
Using oracy to explore perspectives and ethical debates.

Overcoming Challenges
Overcoming reluctance and building confidence in shy or reluctant speakers.
Managing diverse ability levels and linguistic backgrounds.
Aligning oracy activities with curriculum standards and outcomes.

We will explore how integrating oracy into classroom practice can transform student outcomes across the entire curriculum. From Art to Science, every subject benefits when students are given the opportunity to express, debate, and build on ideas through structured talk. Research shows that strong speaking and listening skills are crucial for academic success, personal development, and future employability.

Drawing upon the 

In this course you’ll be equipped with practical strategies to embed oracy into daily lessons, ensuring that every student has the chance to find their voice—whether through discussion, debate, presentation, or collaborative learning.

• What makes effective talk
• learning through talk and learning to talk
• Exploratory and presentational talk
• Developing rich, varied and appropriate vocabulary 
• How oracy improves students' metacognitive abilities
• Practical activities to infuse opportunities to develop oracy into every lesson

Developing Critical Thinking through Research-Based Oracy Strategies

You can read about the importance of oracy here.

Find out more about subject-specific oracy here.