Unlocking the power of oracy skills: Enhancing young learners’ speaking abilities

“I can understand everything I hear or read, I just can’t speak English”. 

This is a phrase I often hear teachers and adult learners complaining about how difficult it is to speak naturally and fluently in their second language. Since we are humans and a great part of our life is mainly interacting with other humans, it’s a complicated situation when you can’t communicate with people, just because they speak a different language than you do. 

For adults the fear of being judged and many other filters make speaking English sometimes a nerve-racking situation, however, with young learners the filters are way less and their inhibitions and fear of judgment are much lower. Therefore teachers can take advantage of this and teach their students techniques and oracy skills to help them communicate better.

But first, what is oracy?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, oracy is the ability to speak clearly and grammatically correctly. It is deeply connected to how people communicate well, articulate their ideas, and listen intently and the great news is that these skills can be learnt and developed. 

We often worry about teaching and developing only the four main abilities (reading, writing, listening and speaking) in ELT, but adding the power of oracy skills to the mix can help learners develop and speak more confidently in English. 

By incorporating oracy skills as abilities to teach young learners in our ELT classrooms, we give them opportunities to experience real-life communication, since people use spoken language to convey information, express thoughts and emotions, ask questions, negotiate, and build relationships.

Communication is a form of connection with others

It also promotes social Interactions. Oral communication is a central component of these kinds of interactions. Being able to engage in conversations, discussions, and debates allows individuals to connect with others, share ideas, and understand different perspectives. Teaching oracy skills enhances social competence and fosters a sense of belonging within a language community.

The different sides to oracy development

Furthermore, teaching oracy skills contributes to overall language fluency. Fluent speakers can communicate smoothly, without frequent pauses or hesitations. Fluent oral communication is an important indicator of language proficiency and helps learners feel more comfortable and confident in using the language.

According to the Cambridge Oracy Framework, oracy skills can be divided into four main groups: Physical, Linguistic, Cognitive and Social & Emotional. 

Oracy skills do not have to be the only exclusive focus in a lesson, teachers can use a project presentation or a role-play situation to teach students about voice projection, gesture and posture and appropriate vocabulary choice in each situation, the more real the situation seems, the more learners will be involved and actively learning. 

Here are some benefits of teaching oracy skills to young learners.

1. Peer Interaction and Social Skills:

Why it’s important:

Development of Social Competence: Teaching oracy skills encourages young learners to engage in peer interactions, fostering the development of social competence. They learn how to navigate social situations, take turns, listen actively, and respond appropriately.

Collaboration: Effective oral communication is crucial for collaborative activities. Through discussions, group projects, and cooperative learning, young learners develop the ability to work with others, share responsibilities, and contribute to group goals.

2. Confidence-Building:

Why it’s important:

Public Speaking: Engaging in oral activities, such as show-and-tell, presentations, or role-playing, helps build confidence in public speaking. Overcoming the fear of speaking in front of others is a valuable life skill.
Positive Self-Perception: Success in oral communication contributes to a positive self-perception. When young learners experience effective communication, receive positive feedback, and see improvement, it enhances their self-esteem and self-efficacy.

3. Real-World Applications:

Why it’s important:

Preparation for Everyday Situations: Teaching oracy skills prepares young learners for real-world communication scenarios. Whether it’s ordering food, asking for directions, or participating in group activities, these skills are directly applicable to daily life.

Problem-Solving: Through discussions and conversations, young learners develop problem-solving skills. They learn to articulate their thoughts, consider different viewpoints, and negotiate with their peers, skills that are essential for navigating real-world challenges.

Why teaching oracy skills is easier than you think

Now, you may think that teaching oracy skills in the ELT classroom is difficult or even more work than you already have, but it’s exactly the opposite. Young learners are learning how to communicate and have a great desire to do so, therefore, teaching them skills and techniques as well as fostering them with opportunities to practice has a number of immediate benefits and a lifelong impact on your students futures.

The first thing you should do is be open about letting go of some of your “teacher talking time”, also known as TTT, by doing this you give students more opportunities to actively participate in the lesson and learn not just by listening, but by actively practicing and engaging with their peers.

Classroom activities

Here are five simple low-prep activity ideas you can use to give your students more time to communicate in class and opportunities you can use to teach them oracy skills:

• Show and Tell: Ask each student to bring a small item from home. In class, give them a few minutes to think about what they want to say and then take turns presenting their item to the class. Encourage them to describe it, explain why it’s important to them, or share an interesting story about it.

• Picture Descriptions: Collect or print a set of interesting pictures. Show a picture to the class and ask students to describe what they see. This activity helps develop vocabulary and descriptive language. You can use pictures related to their current lesson topic or general, everyday scenes.

• Role-Playing: Create simple role-playing cards with scenarios such as ordering food at a restaurant, buying something at a store, or greeting a friend. Distribute the cards to pairs or small groups and have them act out the scenario. This promotes interactive communication and creativity.

• Guess the Sound: Prepare a few sounds or use onomatopoeic words (e.g., meow for a cat, beep for a car). Play the sounds and have students guess what they represent. This activity is not only fun but also enhances listening skills and vocabulary.

• Reciting Rhymes and Songs: Choose a simple nursery rhyme or song related to the lesson theme. Play the song for the students and then have them repeat the lyrics. Encourage them to sing along. This activity is a quick and enjoyable way to practice pronunciation and rhythm.

Final thoughts

With these simple yet effective activities you can teach students techniques they can use not only in your lessons, but also in their lives in and out of the classroom and become more confident speakers in English.

To further understand the concepts and benefits of oracy skills, read our research paper “The development of Oracy skills in school-aged learners“, or watch “Cambridge Papers in brief: the development of oracy skills in school aged learners with Rebecca Rios“.

For more ideas on how to teach oracy check out the video “3 tips to help your children communicate better in English“. If you want to learn more about the power of oracy in the ELT classroom, we have a series of blogs by Kimberley Silver for you to read. Start with “Oracy #1: Making oracy a regular feature of your Primary classes“.