‘Oracy is to be able to express oneself well’ (Andrew Wilkinson. 1960). It directly relates to having a broad range of vocabulary to say what one needs to say, and having the proficiency to structure thoughts (thinking) so that the person makes sense to others. We have always known that ‘student talk’ is important because we know that discussion (and listening to discussion) is central to the development of language, grammar, understanding and thinking development – but how much consideration do we give to structuring dialogue to deepen students’ learning? How much thought and planning do we give to structured discussion (talking and listening) in our classroom? And, how do we encourage reluctant talkers to share their thoughts, reflections and partially formed ideas/opinions?
In this course, we explore strategies and approaches to get the most out of classroom talk, looking at ways to help students to ‘learn to talk’ and ‘learn through talk’. We consider how to plan for structured discussion in classrooms, and what we can do to encourage reluctant talkers to share their thoughts, reflections and partially formed ideas and opinions. Teachers will leave the course with a greater appreciation of the importance of developing students’ oracy ability, and equipped to take on the challenge.
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