ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the four dimensions of oracy: learning, resources, reciprocity, and reflexivity. Most of the research evidence points to the fact that pupils are rarely given opportunities to engage with a variety of spoken language contexts as part of their regular school experiences. What this reminds us of is the fact that the curriculum and the way it is taught are pretty impervious to change. To extend the metaphor a little, one can see the curriculum as a kind of solid bedrock covered by the soil of learning — rich and fertile in parts, but also with large areas of thin, poorly cultivated soil. Talk is one of the essential nutrients — without it there is little long-term growth and only the strongest plants manage to prosper. In such a situation, what is needed is not a bulk order for more watering cans, but a change in climate.
