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Become part of a 5,000+ community which believes that speaking and listening skills are central to personal fulfilment and cultural understanding

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One-off or regular donations are vital to our work, helping us ensure that young people everywhere have the oracy skills they need to thrive

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Volunteer

We’re hugely grateful to those who volunteer their time in helping to organise and run ESU programmes and competitions. Find out how you could help

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‘We rely on the generous support of our members, donors and volunteers to ensure we can reach those children who need our help most’

Home > Oracy Education Research

Find out how the ESU is contributing to the evidence base supporting oracy education in the UK and internationally

ESU Oracy Action Research programme

The ESU’s first Oracy Action Research programme, in association with academics from the University of Sussex’s Speaking Citizen project, is underway. We are working with 12 schools to support them to develop their own oracy research programme, contributing to the ‘what works’ practical evidence base around oracy education. Schools will report their findings in the autumn of 2023, supported by our inaugural Oracy  Research Conference. Sign up to our mailing list to be kept up to date on developments, and to find out how to apply for future years of the programme.

Walter Hines Page Scholarship

Entering its centenary year in 2023, the English-Speaking Union’s Walter Hines Page scholarships enable UK teaching professionals to travel to America to research an oracy or communication project of their choosing that can also help inform our own work in this field. Scholars report their findings which are shared nationally and internationally. Find out more and apply

Speaking Frankly

Published in 2016, Speaking Frankly is a collection of essays by teachers, academics and educational thinkers on the importance of oracy in education. A useful resource for anyone new to oracy education, or looking to develop their knowledge

Programme
children cheering school oracy workshops

Discover Your Voice

Full- or half-day debating, public speaking, and oracy workshops for primary and secondary students.

What is oracy?

Oracy is to speaking what numeracy is to mathematics or literacy to reading and writing. Discover more about why it’s so important.

 Liezel Jacobs and the pupils are standing inside a classroom and listening to her speaks.

Our educational approach

We work with teachers to improve oracy skills and cross-cultural understanding so that all young people, regardless of their background, can make their voices heard


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Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London W1J 5ED. Tel. 020 7529 1550

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