Oral Communication

Introduction 

   Oral communication skills are fundamental to the development of literacy and essential for thinking and learning. Oral communication not only allows students to communicate information, “but also explore and come to understand ideas and concepts; identify and solve problems; organize their experience and knowledge; and express and clarify their thoughts, feelings, and opinions” (Ontario Language Curriculum, 9). Speaking and listening skills are crucial to communication both in and out of the classroom, skills that are powerful and necessary.

Room 213. (2016, March 12). Speaking, Listening and Teaching. [Online Image] Retrieved from http://reallearningroom213.blogspot.ca/2016/03/speaking-listening-teaching-on-fly.html

Active Listening

Like many other skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, active listening is one of the most important skills one can have. We listen for many different reasons including to obtain information, to understand, for enjoyment, to learn, and much more. Despite all of the listening that goes on during the day, research suggests that we only remember 25 percent and 50 percent of what we hear”(Mindtool). It is important to build our active listening skills to benefit form what people are saying and to benefit ourselves. Here are some tips to improve and practice on your skills found here.

Johnson, S. (2011, November 1) Active Listening. Retrieved from https://fineartamerica.com/featured/active-listening-poster-shevon-johnson.html

Listening and Speaking Skills

There are numerous listening and speaking skills that are outlined in the curriculum document that are essential to all students.  A few overall expectations include O1: Listen in order to understand and respond appropriately and 02: Use speaking skills appropriately to communicate. Both of these overall expectations are similar to one another and go hand-in-hand. This tells us that we cannot have one without the other and in order to have good oral communication skills; one must be able to both actively listen and speak appropriately. Demonstrating and teaching listening and speaking skills to students should be portrayed through he gradual release of responsibility model as all of the other language skills one requires. The teacher first models these skills, then students practice these skills in small and large group settings, in a variety of ways and purposes and receive feedback to better improve their oral communication.

Hall, M. (2014, June 20). Student Presentation. [Online Image] Retrieved from http://ii.library.jhu.edu/2014/06/20/creative-student-assignments-fast-paced-in-class-presentations/

Storytelling

Students are exposed to speaking and listening all day long and many tend to tune out what they are listening to after awhile. In order to get students to listen and grasp what you are saying, teachers have to make the classroom a fun and engaging place so students are always tuned into what is being said and done. A great method for learning is through storytelling. I find this method of learning to be engaging and inspiring, leaving me tuned into the speaker the whole time, eagerly anticipating what is going to come next. Telling stories can leave powerful messages and inspire and build a legacy. Our class had the great pleasure to be able to have guest speaker Sakoleta Wakathahionnu and his wife Dawn come in and present his authentic story of Indigenous culture.  From the moment Dawn started to speak in her native language I was hooked. Despite not understanding what was being said I was still able to listen and appreciate the sounds of a different culture, one that us as Canadians should know more about. Dawn and Sakoleta’s storytelling was greatly inspiring and left an impression with the audience. An example of Indigenous storytelling can be found here. If storytelling can inspire a group of adults, imagine the wonders it could do to a classroom full of children.

Pinterest. (2017) First Nations Talking Circle. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/340021840592888972/

Conclusion

Listening and speaking are everyday skills that many of us practice, but may not always comprehend what we are listening to or speaking. It is our jobs as teachers to inspire students to actively take part in both speaking and listening. Involving storytelling as a method of teaching is a great way to actively involve and engage students in content. Teachers can start by creating their own story to share to the class or have guest speakers come in to share their authentic voice. Once students understand the concept, they can take a hand at developing their own story to share to the class. Authentic storytelling is a great activity of many that will leave an everlasting impression on the students and exposes them to meaningful oral communication.