Playing with Language is essential to successful literacy learning. It helps us discover how language works and leads us to new discoveries about ourselves and the world. Strong oral language leads to larger vocabulary and greater success in literacy.

Oral language can be strengthened through Reading, Communication, and Inquiry. Questioning contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens. Most learning activities in the class rely on opportunities to share understandings, ideas, opinions, and beliefs. (Popey)

This useful framework for communication comes from Alice Stott at Edutopia (2018):

• Physical: How a speaker uses their body language, facial expressions, and voice.

• Linguistic: The speaker’s use of language, including their understanding of formality and rhetorical devices.

• Cognitive: The content of what a speaker says and their ability to build on, challenge, question, and summarize others’ ideas.

• Social and emotional: How well a speaker listens, includes others, and responds to their audience (Stott, 2018).

Ideas on how to support Oral Language:

• Create How to tutorials- steps provided by Common Sense Education

• 30 second speeches (give a topic and 30 second time limit)- can be recorded or in front of a live audience.

• Create a Podcast recording- using the free voice recorder Vocaroo

French:

Phonetics

Magic Tricks in French - Watch Par Ici la magique then practice and deliver the magic trick in french.

Developing French Oral Language Skills

Resources to Support Oral Language Development:

Speaking Games

Developing Language In Reading

fnesc Oral Language Activities

Traditional Games and Activities that Support Oral Language:

20 Questions

Would You Rather

Charades (for gesturing)