Oral language in the classroom PD, 28th April 2015 - Alison Davis - davis.vision@xtra.co.

nz
Oral language can and should be taught - dose and density-daily - multiple opportunities.
How is oral language taught? Not just talking but teaching it, explicit teaching of oral language. How are we
teaching the skills and strategies to create good speaking skills? What is taught must be maintained.
Oral language supports all learning, thinking and communication across all curriculum areas. You cannot see what
kids are thinking you need them to TELL you.
Development of a students metalinguistic awareness, their ability to think about and control the language they
use. Think about audience and purpose.
What the teacher says and how it is conveyed is important- talk is the central tool of the teachers trade- (Peter
Johnson 204) Modelled talk, and shared talk, what does it look like in the classroom?
Have strong links between talking, thinking and learning.
Oral language use and knowledge.
What do you use oral language to do?
Explain, give instructions, express ideas, opinions, feelings to question, motivate, social interaction, clarify our
thinking, to get information, summarise, visualise and infer. Link to prior knowledge to make connections.
What do good listeners know and do?
Listen without interrupting, dont ridicule, give them thinking time, and acknowledge them and their views/ideas.
Ask questions, summarise, answer questions. Have visual prompts for groups, did the listeners have eye contact,
did the speaker talk clearly, did the listeners listen, this is good for peer and self-assessment. Could video the talk.
(Other ideas, tickled pink card and green for growth, next steps, or two prompt cards, I found this easy because,
or I found it hard because?) Could do a visualise session, have a picture in your head, can you talk about it,
describe it, can listeners ask questions to get the information from you.
What do good speakers know and do?
Speak clearly think about your speed, speak for purpose, use appropriate, good volume and tone, (not a whiney
voice use your polite voice, happy voice, quiet, sad, ) using punctuation, pause for breath etc. Good speakers
know their topic. Use the correct sequence, sequence words. Make connections to prior knowledge.
Use accurate sentences, syntax/semantics. Speak using compound and complex sentences; this will then
transfer to their writing. Think about your audience, style you are speaking in, language choices. Know when to
stop. Take turns, eye contact, listen, body language gestures. Know how to enter and exit a conversation. Choose
and select appropriate vocabularly, do they need descriptive, questioning, nouns, adverbs, (eg the word rain
say a verb to do with rain, pouring say an adjective cold rain use a similie, the rain is a wet as .. Think
about subject specific vocab. Think about how you engage your listener, rehearse ideas in your head before you
speak.
Audience for speaking
Best friend, own teacher, another teacher, grandparents, different aged child, toy, teddy, pet, parents, shop
keeper, policeman, favourite character etc.
Oral Language to teach vocabulary.
Introduce new words through oral language. Learning about words with multiple meanings eg run can mean
running, rabbit run, run in tights, a run in with someone. Drawing attention to new words when listening to
reading. Identify key words students will need to know and plan to teach these words in a variety of ways,
providing students with definitions and example that make the word concepts clear. Allow many opportunities
and times for new words to be used in different contexts. E.g. new vocab, write the words on cards put them in

ice cream containers and pass around the groups take 2 each, talk about the meaning, can you put it into a
sentence.
What does it mean to know a word?|
Recognise it, heave come into contact with it, heard it in use, know what it means. To be able to define and
explain it, pronounce it correctly, to know when to use it. Understand how the word relates to other wordswords in the word family. Know its multiple meanings. Be able to use it correctly according to the context. Being
able to decode and spell it.
To teach the word teachers must point out the word in context, repeat it, explain it, expand upon it and actively
engage students in using it.
When introducing a new word say to children - This is when.. and This is where.
oral and written vocab.
Teach with multiple exposure to words. Visual representation- illustrations, symbol, picture. Oral representation teacher. Oral representation - student, in their own words. Prompts, this is when, this is like, another word to
mean the same as. Use sentence frames. Use synonyms-words that mean the same, eg washing=cleaning.
Knowledge of prefixes and suffixes - there for understanding and decoding of words. Cline activity
Actvities:
vocab cards
charts displays
scrapbooks, notebooks
Quizzes
sketch a word - write the word then draw a picture to help visualise it or bubble write a word etc
Games Eye Spy, the word that means.. I am., board games with new vocab, Bingo -laminated to change.
Vocab detectives - Encourage students to spot new words- share-teach-create a word box to share new and
interesting words -teacher too.