Communication

Learners of the 21st century need to be able to communicate. Not only are people increasingly able to speak and send messages to a variety of audiences, but we need to be able to listen to and decipher the messages with which we are bombarded daily. Developing competence in communication relates to being able to use a variety of media effectively, and to voice opinions and advocate for ideas (Government of Ontario, 2015, p. 56). Learning to communicate can be developed together with the inquiry and critical thinking skills that will be required to effectively participate in the wider community of discourse that is available to students in the 21st century (Wolfe & Alexander, 2008). There are a variety of tools and strategies that educators can use to foster competence in communication, and you will find some of them below.

When I first started teaching, I would have immediately listed "reading" and "writing" as skills that I would teach in order to build communication skills. Although I taught "oral language" skills, in the early days of my career that usually meant having the students do oral presentations. I now understand that oral language skills can be taught in a variety of contexts, through whole group discussions, partner and small group work, and that these skills involve both the speaking AND listening components.

For me the journey to learning more about oral language in the classroom started with learning about "accountable talk", which involves using focused and meaningful dialogue with students. For an insightful blog that outlines accountable talk, and gives some great tips for accountable talk prompts that can be posted in the classroom, read the blog entry, "How to Empower Primary Students Using Accountable Talk".

There are also many other ways to plan and structure oral language experiences. Click here for the "Thinking Together" program at the University of Cambridge's list of resources to build oral language skills in the classroom.