Why is voice important?

Last week, we covered a few fundamental ideas regarding oracy, the importance of learning to talk and of learning through talk. We considered the importance of oracy in broad terms; this week, we are going to look at three key areas in which oracy makes a significant difference to the lives of young people. These three areas will then be explored, individually and in more detail, over the coming weeks.

The power of voice: what does the research tell us?

Oracy is integral to personal, academic, and professional success. Research consistently demonstrates that strong oracy skills correlate with:

• Improved academic performance across subjects. The Education Endowment Foundation reports that oral language interventions can advance student progress by up to 6 months. This emphasises the transformative potential of voice in terms of academic outcomes and cognitive development.

• Increased social mobility, equity and inclusivity. The Fair Education Alliance state that oracy is important for equity and fairness: high levels of oracy allow us to empathise, to properly listen to and hear one another and to exist in an inter-related society. Equally, having the tools to know how to talk with confidence will ensure that those voices at risk of being marginalised are heard as a matter of priority.

• Better mental health and well-being. According to leading clinical psychologists at Place2Be, skills such as acquiring and utilising emotional vocabulary, learning to manage and articulate thoughts, the ability to listen and respond to others - advancing empathy - the development of the confidence to argue and discuss are essential for a life of emotional wellbeing.

What does this mean for schools?

Schools and education systems are constantly on the lookout for interventions that provide mechanisms for improving learning, wellbeing and a sense of self & identity; at times, it can feel as though these three aspects of education are held in tension or even in competition.

Where an oracy intervention is so transformative is in providing an approach that has such a clear, demonstrable positive impact across these spaces. Schools, therefore, should be considering interventions that include the following:

• a curriculum for oracy;

• classroom strategies that promote talk and dialogic spaces;

• wider spaces and opportunities that promote student voice and communication;

• teacher education and training to ensure that teachers are not only comfortable and confident delivering an oracy curriculum but that they themselves collaborate in dialogic spaces.

Following our full exploration of the positive impact of oracy, subsequent newsletters will consider approaches to the above points: we can’t wait to share this with you.