Week 4 Post 2

Oracy is the concept of Oratorical Literacy. Essentially, it is the basic set of communication skills that all students are expected to be capable of using but few are actually taught. Most school districts don't offer oracy classes until high school. That leaves many students without the foundational knowledge of how to concisely and confidently formulate oral arguments that they need in order to be good communicators. Teaching oracy to young students alongside math and literacy can help in many different ways. First, it can make the students better at math and literacy by using a skill they already have (talking) to learn skills that they need to gain. As they learn new math and literacy concepts, they also become better communicators which is why a symbiotic relationship exists between math and literacy education and oracy education. Oracy can also empower student voice. In schools where oracy is treated as a core class, students gain experience talking to their contemporaries in nonjudgmental environments. The lack of power dichotomy or judgement fosters public speaking skills and reduces the chance of students developing communication anxiety later in life. Finally, oracy makes students better thinkers. Because students have to engage in debates and use deep thinking skills from a young age, they become accustomed to using those skills later on and become better debaters and deeper thinkers over all. 
The concept of oracy education proves that public speaking is a skill rather than a talent because it proves that public speaking can be taught. It also displays an important lesson: public speaking skills can improve other skills. Therefore, if more people view oracy as a skill to be gained rather than a talent to be envied, more people will gain knowledge in one area which will reinforce knowledge in other areas.

Comments

  1. Ms. Dunley29 October 2019 at 10:41

    Have you thought about chatting with Mr. Biggs concerning adding an Oracy class?

    ReplyDelete

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