Talking is the key that unlocks all education | Letters

Dr Mike Davis, Chris Wills and Debbie Cameron respond to Simon Jenkins’ article on the benefits of oracy lessonsSimon Jenkins says the teaching of oracy “was launched about 10 years ago by progressive educationists” (Another way we are failing an entire generation: we must teach young people to speak, 24 July). There has been enthusiasm for spoken English in schools for much longer than that.In 1989, the government published the report English for Ages 5 to 16. In it, Brian Cox argued for the greater inclusion of oracy by asserting that “talk is now widely recognised as promoting and embodying a range of skills and competence – both transactional and social – that are central to children’s overall language development”. Continue reading...

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