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NEW! Tongue Fu Talking - A fully-resourced Oracy Framework

Tongue Fu Talking: Systematic Oracy Development Across the Curriculum

Unlock the full potential of classroom talk with Tongue Fu Talking™—a structured oracy framework inspired by the discipline of martial arts. This course will show you how to teach speaking and listening with the same rigour and clarity as reading and writing.

chris_cutout
Created and Led by
Chris Quigley
Duration
5.5 hours
Target Audience
Head Teachers, Teachers, Senior Leaders

Course Overview

Unlock the full potential of classroom talk with Tongue Fu Talking™—a structured oracy framework inspired by the discipline of martial arts. This course will show you how to teach speaking and listening with the same rigour and clarity as reading and writing.

You’ll explore two purposeful modes of talk:

  • Explorer Mode: The way of thoughtful discovery

  • Presenter Mode: The way of speaking with confidence, substance, and style

And discover how to develop them through four powerful disciplines:

  • The Stance (physical presence)

  • The Flow (linguistic skill)

  • The Mind (cognitive strategies)

  • The Bond (social and emotional connection)

Why Attend?

  • Understand why oracy matters across the curriculum

  • Learn how to explicitly teach oracy using 23 clear, teachable practices

  • Explore the Tongue Fu Belt System to assess and support progression from EYFS to KS3

  • Discover inclusive strategies for all learners, including those with SEND

  • Gain practical tools to make oracy a deliberate part of curriculum design

What You'll Receive

 

  • Examples from the Tongue Fu Talking™ Oracy Framework

  • Ideas to develop self-assessment tools, sentence stems, and progression maps

  • Guidance on embedding oracy into every subject

  • Examples of activities for Explorer and Presenter talk

Who is it For?

 

  • Classroom teachers (EYFS to KS3)

  • Subject and phase leaders

  • Senior leaders looking to embed oracy across the curriculum

Pricing & Book

Course Price: £175 (exc. VAT)

Book 3 places and the 4th place is free

Our webinars are held over Zoom and you will be sent a link to access these closer to the event date.

No upcoming dates available.
Evidence Informed
Evidence Informed
All our courses are based on peer-reviewed research.
Practical and inspiring
Practical and inspiring
We bridge the gap between evidence and practice.
Versatile environments
Versatile environments
We offer a choice between on-demand and live courses.

Thank you so much - as usual, today has been thought-provoking from start to finish.  I'll definitely be using the vocabulary games as starter activities next week, and I will be introducing the Think-aloud Crowd across the curriculum to help children use metacognitive strategies in their learning.

This has been so useful with lots of great ideas to try out, thankyou.

Thanks very much Chris, another brilliant webinar.

Thank you so much, I can't wait to get started.

Thanks for the Oracy Webinar. Lots of great ideas and tangible activities shared.

Thank you for the wealth of resources you have provided and a great overview of oracy in practise!

Thank you so much - amazing information and resources.

Thank you, Chris, for a thought provoking day around Oracy. The resources are brilliant and provide the tools to develop a more formal approach to champion Oracy across our school.

Thanks for the Oracy webinar. Lots of great ideas and tangible activities shared.

Very clear diagrams, explained well. 10/10

Samantha Crinnion
St . Georges School
View all Testimonials

Latest from the Blog

All Articles
Top 10 Classroom Talk Strategies to Develop Oracy Skills with Tongue Fu Talking®
Top 10 Classroom Talk Strategies to Develop Oracy Skills with Tongue Fu Talking®
30th Jul 2025
This article explores 10 classroom talk strategies from Tongue Fu Talking® that build oracy through structured, purposeful dialogue. It explains how approaches like Because, So, But, Connect-It, and Curriculum-Based Debates help students develop reasoning, metacognition, and confident expression, moving beyond superficial talk to meaningful learning across the curriculum.
Curriculum Based Debates: A powerful Classroom Talk Strategy
Curriculum Based Debates: A powerful Classroom Talk Strategy
28th Jul 2025
Curriculum-based debates are a powerful classroom talk strategy, as they require both deep thinking and articulate expression. Within Tongue Fu Talking™, Chris Quigley's Oracy Framework, debates are built around two modes of talk: Explorer Mode–Talk for reasoning, discovery, and collaborative thinking, and Presenter Mode–Talk for structured, confident communication with an audience. These modes ensure that debates are not about winning arguments but about learning through talk, linking oracy directly to disciplinary knowledge and metacognitive strategies. Here, we show how our 480 curriculum-based debates across our four belt levels build both oracy and subject understanding.
Oracy Is Not a Subject, but Every Subject Requires It
Oracy Is Not a Subject, but Every Subject Requires It
21st Jul 2025
This blog explores why a clear oracy framework is essential for learning across all subjects. It explains how classroom talk strategies, such as Because, But, So and Seeking Clues, build both communication skills and disciplinary knowledge in science, geography, and history. The article introduces Tongue Fu Talking™, a structured approach with two strands—Explorer Mode for reasoning and Presenter Mode for confident communication—designed to embed purposeful talk from EYFS to KS3.
Tongue Fu Brand Mark