Teacher training on oracy should not be “one-off” and must be subject-tailored to avoid becoming “generic”, a report has recommended today.

The report from the Commission on the Future of Oracy Education has also called for a revision of the English language GCSE, a re-balancing of spoken language in the curriculum, and greater intervention in the early years.

The commission found that teachers “do not receive any training about spoken language”, and warned that there is “little provision” for teachers, especially those who do not teach English, to “develop knowledge about language in continued professional development”.

Oracy training to be ‘appropriate within subject context’

The initial teacher training and early career framework, which is in place from next September, now includes clear references to oracy.

However, the commission highlighted ”a trend towards more generic teacher training”, warning there was a need for oracy training to be “appropriate and effective within [teachers’] subject context”.

The commission recommended improved training and development on oracy in teacher training, but cautioned against it becoming a “one-off course or inset day”.

Launching the report in parliament today, commission chair Geoff Barton is expected to say: “We want our teaching profession to regain its sense of agency, of value, of moral purpose”.

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said it welcomes the work of Mr Barton’s commission and is considering the recommendations as part of the curriculum and assessment review, which is being led by Dr Becky Francis.

Curriculum ‘downgrades’ spoken language

The report found that the national picture for oracy “remains patchy and inconsistent”, adding that there is a lack of definition over what oracy means.

This ambiguity over the meaning of oracy makes it “challenging to establish best practices or shared expectations”, the commission found.

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The emphasis on reading and writing within the national curriculum means spoken language has been “downgraded”, the commission’s report warned.

The curriculum “signals to schools and teachers that spoken language is less important than reading and writing”, it said, adding that guidance on meeting spoken language ambitions is “insufficient”.

It called for more attention to be placed on oracy within the curriculum, with schools given the flexibility to decide whether to embed these skills in subjects or in “aspects of school life beyond the subject curriculum”, such as extra-curricular activities.

Revise English language GCSE

There is “widespread dissatisfaction with the content of the secondary English language curriculum and GCSE qualification”, the report found, adding that it offers few opportunities for students to learn about oracy.

Concerns over the English GCSE have been echoed by exam board OCR, which called for the qualification to be “redesigned as a matter of urgency” in a report released last month.

Similar concerns were also expressed by experts earlier this year, who said GCSE English literature and language are “not fit for purpose”.

English language GCSE should be reformed to teach young people about the “history of the English language”, its influence and influences, and “celebrate its richness and diversity”, according to the oracy commission.

Oracy ‘should not be an intervention for working-class pupils’

The commission acknowledged that, while the aim of oracy education is to benefit all children, there are some concerns that it could fail to do so “if not all voices are equally valued”.

They urged that oracy should be accessible to all, and not the “preserve of better-resourced students and communities”.

This includes making it inclusive to pupils with English as an additional language (EAL), for those with special educational needs (SEND), and pupils with different dialects, which are often “devalued” to promote standard English in schools, the report said.

“The aim of learning to talk, listen and communicate should be to support all young people to increase their repertoire of speaking, listening and communication skills, rather than to adopt one particular form of spoken language,” the report said.

To do this, the commission said that oracy education should not be framed as a “targeted intervention to support working class or marginalised students”.

More investment needed in early language

Oracy should be embedded in early years education, the commission said, as well as advocating for spoken language to be a “whole-school approach”.

“Ongoing and appropriate support is not consistently in place as children leave the early years,” according to the report.

The recommendation comes after record waits for speech and language therapy were reported earlier this year.

Despite 20 per cent of children in England not being at the expected level for communication and language by the end of the reception, the report queried why there is “no further monitoring data for their language as they progress through school”.

The commission called for more investment in early language development to “reduce language inequities at the earliest opportunity”.