14th Jun 2026
Much of the current discussion about oracy focuses on creating a culture of talk, increasing discussion opportunities and encouraging student participation. This article argues that these are not curricula. A serious oracy curriculum must first specify what students are expected to learn. It proposes six tests: defining a body of communication knowledge, rooting talk in meaningful content, teaching knowledge about communication itself, developing metacognition, specifying progression and making assessment possible through exemplification. Using Tongue Fu Talking® as an example, the article argues that effective oracy education depends not on more talk, but on a clearly defined, progressive and assessable communication curriculum.
