Introduction
The Uses of Oracy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 September 2025
Edited by
Summary
This introductory chapter provides a brief survey of working definitions of oracy, including a history of the concept in British educational thought, and offers ways of contextualising the idea within broader debates over speaking and listening in popular culture.
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- OracyThe Politics of Speech Education, pp. 1 - 18Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
References
Alexander, R. (2012). ‘Improving oracy and classroom talk in English schools’, presentation for Department for Education on Oracy, the National Curriculum and Educational Standards, 20 February 2012. https://robinalexander.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/DfE-oracy-120220-Alexander-FINAL0.pdfGoogle Scholar
Alexander, R. (2014). ‘Evidence, policy and the reform of primary education: A cautionary tale’, The 2014 Godfrey Thompson Trust Lecture, The University of Edinburgh, 13 May. https://cprtrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Alexander-Edinburgh-140513.pdf.Google Scholar
Alexander, R. (2019). All Party Parliamentary Group Inquiry Submission. https://robinalexander.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/APPG-Oracy-submissionB.pdf.Google Scholar
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Oracy (2021). Speak for Change Inquiry. London: Oracy APPG.Google Scholar
BBC (2006). ‘UK’s Vicky Pollards “left behind”’. BBC News article, 12 December 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6173441.stm.Google Scholar
Cambridge Assessment (2024). ‘Getting started with oracy’, Cambridge Assessment guidance. www.cambridge-community.org.uk/professional-development/oracy.Google Scholar
Cambridge Dictionary of English (2024). ‘Oracy’. Dictionary entry. https://dictionary.cambridge-org.demo.remotlog.com/dictionary/english/oracy.Google Scholar
Cameron, D. (2000). Good to Talk?: Living and Working in a Communication Culture. London: Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, A. (2022). Spoken language support for children is crucial to tackle educational inequality. The House. Available at: www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/spoken-language-support-for-children-is-crucial-to-tackle-educational-inequality.Google Scholar
Coultas, V. (2015). ‘Revisiting debates on oracy: Classroom talk – Moving towards a democratic pedagogy?’, Changing English, 22(1), 72–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cushing, I. (2024). ‘Are the theoretical underpinnings of oracy sound?’, Schools Week, 12 February 2024.Google Scholar
Dodet, K. and Mencacci, N. (2024). Le Grand Oral, une opportunité d’évaluation des éducations à la santé dans la série des Sciences Technologiques de la Santé et du Social ?. Travail et Apprentissages. N° 26. 105–19. 10.3917/ta.026.0105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
English Speaking Union (2017). ‘Oracy in Global Classrooms’, www.esu.org/news-and-views/international-perspectives-on-oracy/ (accessed 6 December 2019).Google Scholar
English Speaking Union (2024). ‘How do we measure oracy skills’, English Speaking Union article. www.esu.org/oracy.Google Scholar
‘For a text message generation, lessons in speaking properly’ (2004). The Daily Mail, 9 August 2004.Google Scholar
Gaunt, A. and Stott, A. (2019). Transform Teaching and Learning through Talk: The Oracy Imperative. London: Rowman and Littlefield.Google Scholar
Halpin, T. (2002). ‘Experts just want better robots, says Prince’, The Times, 17 November 2002.Google Scholar
Haworth, A. (2001) ‘The re-positioning of oracy: A millennium project?’, Journal of Education, 31(1), 11–23.Google Scholar
Hayward, F. (2023) ‘How Starmer will rethink education’, New Statesman, 6 July 2023. www.newstatesman.com/thestaggers/2023/07/keir-starmer-rethink-education.Google Scholar
Henry, J. (2004). ‘School children to be taught “how to speak properly”’, The Telegraph, 8 August 2004. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1468911/School-children-to-be-taught-how-to-speak-properly.html.Google Scholar
Holmes-Henderson, A., Žmavc, J. and Kaldahl, A.-G. (2022). ‘Rhetoric, oracy and citizenship: Curricular innovations from Scotland, Slovenia and Norway’, Literacy, 56, 253–63. https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12299.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Humphrys, J. (2023) ‘Oracy: The answer to a pupil’s prayers?’, YouGov, 7 July 2023. https://yougov.co.uk/society/articles/45887-john-humphrys-oracy-answer-pupils-prayersGoogle Scholar
‘Inarticulate Speech Cult’ (1964). Daily Telegraph, 18 August 1964.Google Scholar
Johnson, J. (2020). ‘The National Oracy Project’, in Brindley, S. (ed.), Teaching English. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Kellaway, L. (2023). ‘Starmer is right to speak up for the dreadfully named oracy’, Financial Times, 8 July 2023.Google Scholar
Knight, R. (2024). ‘Oracy and cultural capital: The transformative potential of spoken language’, Literacy, 58, 37–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
‘Let’s get rid of the grunts’ (2003). Daily Mail, 8 April 2003.Google Scholar
Marenbon, J. (1994). ‘The new orthodoxy examined’, in Brindley, S. (ed.), Teaching English. London: Routledge, pp. 16–24.Google Scholar
Mercer, N. (2019). Language and the Joint Creation of Meaning: The Selected Works of Neil Mercer. Oxford: Routledge.Google Scholar
Mercer, N., Warwick, P. and Ahmed, A. (2017). An oracy assessment toolkit: Linking research and development in the assessment of students’ spoken language skills at age 11–12. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.7915.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mercer, N. and Mannion, J. (2018). Oracy Across the Welsh Curriculum: A Research-Based Review and Recommendations for Teachers. Cambridge: Oracy Cambridge.Google Scholar
Michaels, S., O’Connor, C. and Resnick, L. (2008). ‘Deliberative discourse idealized and realized: Accountable talk in the classroom and in civic life’, Studies in Philosophy and Education, 27(4), 283–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newsom, J. (1963). Half Our Future: A Report of the Advisory Council for Education. London: HM Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Norman, K. (1992). Thinking Voices: The Work of the National Oracy Project. London: Hodder and Stoughton.Google Scholar
Ong, W. (1982). Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word. London: Methuen.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
‘Pity the inarticulate myspace generation’ (2007). The Independent, 19 May 2007.Google Scholar
‘Prince hits out at left’s elitism’ (1993). Sunday Telegraph, 14 February 1993.Google Scholar
‘Prince of Wales says English is taught “bloody badly”’ (1987). The Times 29 June 1987.Google Scholar
Reusch, C. (2021). Orality or Oracy on the Agenda: How Do Policy Documents Frame Oral Competencies?. Abstract from ECER 2021, Geneva, Switzerland.Google Scholar
Rousseau, J. (1991 [1762]). Emile, Or on Education. Transl. Constantine, P. London: Penguin.Google Scholar
Sayid, R. (2006). ‘It’s like, yeah, what, you know (..) and that’. Daily Mirror, 13 December 2006. www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/its-like-yeah-what-you-653033.Google Scholar
Shilling, J. (2003). ‘A little more conversation’, The Times, 14 November 2003. www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a-little-more-conversation-8s6bpwb639c.Google Scholar
Smithers, R. (2003). ‘Silence of the little lambs: Talking skills in decline’, The Guardian, 4 March 2003.Google Scholar
Voice 21 (2019). Oracy Benchmarks. www.voice21.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Benchmarks-report-FINAL.pdf.Google Scholar
Vygotsky, L.S. (1962 [1934]). Thought and Language. Transl. Hanfmann, E. and Vakar, G.Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.10.1037/11193-000CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilkinson, A. (1965a). Spoken English Illuminated. Birmingham: University of Birmingham.Google Scholar
Wilkinson, A. (1965b). ‘The concept of oracy’, English in Education, 2(A2), June 1965.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilkinson, A. (1970). ‘The concept of oracy’, The English Journal, 59(1), 71–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AAA
The PDF of this book
complies with version 2.2 of the
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG), offering more comprehensive accessibility measures for a broad range
of users and attains the highest
(AAA)
level of WCAG compliance, optimising the user experience by meeting the most extensive
accessibility guidelines.
Content Navigation
Table of contents navigation
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Index navigation
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Reading Order & Textual Equivalents
Single logical reading order
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
Short alternative textual descriptions
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
Full alternative textual descriptions
You get more than just short alt text: you have comprehensive text equivalents, transcripts, captions, or audio descriptions for substantial non‐text content, which is especially helpful for complex visuals or multimedia.
You get more than just short alt text: you have comprehensive text equivalents, transcripts, captions, or audio descriptions for substantial non‐text content, which is especially helpful for complex visuals or multimedia.
Visual Accessibility
Use of colour is not sole means of conveying information
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
Use of high contrast between text and background colour
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.