How to Promote Oral Skills at School? Reality and Challenges

realidades e desafios

Abstract

The present article, an excerpt from a broader research project, focuses on the issue of promoting and developing oral language competencies in schools. This research was grounded in studies addressing the centrality of orality in early childhood education and in primary education, the concept and dimensions of oral communicative competence, as well as the methodological principles and strategies for the explicit teaching and assessment of orality. The study was guided by two specific objectives that inform the analyses and critical reflections: to identify the representations of early childhood educators and primary school teachers regarding the role of orality in the curriculum; and to understand the pedagogical practices used in the classroom to promote the development of children’s oral language. The participants in the study were one early childhood educator and one primary school teacher. The preferred methodology was exploratory research, and the data collection instrument selected was the semi-structured interview. The interviews were subjected to content analysis, from which several categories emerged through the examination of the collected data. The results indicated that orality is present in the curriculum and recognised by the teachers; however, there appears to be a lack of intentional work on orality within the classroom. Contributing to this situation is also a lack of more structured training in this area, as noted by the participants. The main challenges identified relate to the need to conceive of orality as a social, cultural and relational practice, with the role of both school and family being fundamental to the achievement of this aim.