ABSTRACT
There has been much talk about talk in the debate on the English curriculum. This chapter attempts to assess the impact of these debates on classroom teachers.
Speaking and listening has often been called ‘the Cinderella strand’ because, compared with the reading and writing strands, it is the most easily cast aside. This book openly acknowledges that many teachers find this aspect of teaching English a challenge but this chapter also raises questions about the consistency of the advice given by policy makers. It considers whether the present system of examinations helps schools and teachers accord an equal role to speaking and listening in their planning. For those teachers who have sought to embed speaking and listening within the English curriculum and other subjects, the advice has sometimes seemed inconsistent. When working in urban schools, where talk can help to empower pupils who need to develop greater self-confidence with language use, these policy changes can have an important impact.
