ABSTRACT
How do we facilitate productive oral discussion amongst students in class, whether online or in person? The aim of this chapter is to discuss whether the design and delivery of an oracy skills module to first-year undergraduates at an international university in London can lead to more effective classroom interaction and thus deeper learning. The discussion includes the ways in which a body of research into oracy teaching to younger pupils in schools has influenced the delivery of the module, as well as its methods of assessment. The challenges both to teachers and students are analysed and the benefits, as reported by both groups, are highlighted. These reports suggest that this kind of oracy intervention can indeed benefit students’ learning at this early stage of their university career, although further research is undoubtedly required to evaluate possible longer-term effects.
