Lately it seems that every time I talk to a teacher or parent there is one main theme

that pops up. Are students losing their ability to orally communicate because of the
amount of technology? Parents feel that their children are more monosyllabic and
teachers are experiencing a lack of word connectivity with students. With students
texting and chatting via symbols and acronyms, there is actually less talking
happening.

There are probably some of you out there thinking, what is the problem? While it
may seem that the quiet classroom is the best frame for learning, there are many
times when the exact opposite is true. The spoken word has just as much value as
the written word. Technology has managed to curtail some of that to a certain
point. While getting students to sit at a computer and create is less of a struggle,
getting students to stand and present their work is just the opposite. In working
with teenagers, it becomes clear that some of this is a natural part of who they are
in the middle school setting, but the other piece is now evident as well. Students
just dont have a voice or words for what they are doing.

Is it that the computer has transformed their brains in such a way that they are not
able to vocally communicate in the same way or is it that the technology has made
them less capable? The answer is not completely clear, but from my perspective, it
is a bit of both.

Technology is limiting, if not used extensively or deeply. For example, most students
tend to use the tools that they are most comfortable within, but not extend any
further. In fact, they are limiting themselves by not exploring ways in which to
communicate and learn.

At the same token, the speed of technology is changing us. The faster it gets the
more our brains are trying to grasp and assimilate. The brain does adapt, but at the
same time it begins to limit our human interactions because the brain begins to
crave more of this stimulation. There is an actual term for this called popcorn
brain. David Levy a professor with the Information School at the University of
Washington has come up with this term and it is defined as a brain so accustomed
to the constant stimulation of electronic multitasking that were unfit for life offline,
where things pop at a much slower pace (Cohen, 2011).

Students experience this feeling regularly in the classroomwhichis why we hear so

much conversation trending in education circles about students boredom and about
how educators can keep the attention of our students focused in the classroom.
Certainly there have been many studies which discuss the affects of multitasking
and the negatives of actually doing good, quality work when one is stretched all
over the place.

Communication requires finer tuned thinking. When we write or when we speak,

there is a level of concentration and connection which needs to be set. In many
cases, this is a skill that needs to be taught and practiced. The one place where this
can happen is in the classroom. Yes, this may mean forcing the point of bringing the
reluctant student to the front of the classroom to speak, but it is the one way we
can ensure helping our students to learn, refine, and clearly piece together their
thoughts orally. Otherwise, the voice of our students may be limited to emoticons
or an inadequate text language which we may not be able to grasp in the future.

Teaching oral communication in schools is becoming more infrequent. The importance of

oral communication should be no different than the necessity of math, reading, or writing. Oral
communication by definition is communication by word of mouth. Children must be confident in
their speaking abilities because many careers require this skill. Schools must reconsider how
important it is to promote oral communication, examine why it has been limited in schools, and
learn how to teach it more effectively. Oral communication skills are a necessity that every child
will need as an adult.
Oral communication is an important skill because it promotes leadership and confidence.
When children are confident in their abilities they will succeed academically and socially. It is
important for students to generate their own ideas using outside references in the community
(Joseph and Efron, pg 5-6). Oftentimes some students have trouble making friends. If they can
learn to be more confident in their speaking abilities they will be more likely to approach their
peers. On the other hand, when students feel comfortable expressing their ideas in front of people
they will most likely contribute more to class discussions. Teachers always have difficulty with
getting their students to participate constructively, so if the teacher spends more time teaching
their students how to talk and respond coherently children will be more likely to contribute. It is
important for teachers to create academically responsive classrooms (Tomlinsen, pg 1). This

feeling of confidence and increased leadership abilities will benefit the entire class because
discussions will become more in depth and student generated. If students feel less apprehension
about speaking in public they will be more likely to express their ideas. When oral
communication is learned and perfected in students their success rate in academics will escalate
especially when they are required to formulate ideas quickly in writing.
Oral communication skills have been reduced in schools because the emphasis is on
subjects in standardized testing. As Nell Noddings stated, We should want more from our
educational efforts than adequate academic achievement (Noddings, pg 6). Schools are focusing
on areas that they are expected to teach, but not on other areas a student will need to succeed.
Standardized testing is a way for schools to measure math, reading, writing, and science. But
often the tests overlook other skills that children will need as adults. Also, teachers are getting
classrooms with a teacher to student ratio way over what it should be. When a class has over
twenty five kids it is hard for one teacher and one teachers aide to cover all the material needed.
So when teachers do not have enough time to cover the basic academics that are required on
standardized tests there is even less time devoted to other skills such as oral communication. This
is exactly how Megan Brownlee felt because instead of teaching her class the required
curriculum she was forced to focus on the standardized tests for the week (Megan Brownlee, pg
6). Another issue is that diversity and bilingual students are growing in schools. When there are
language barriers it is much harder for teachers to inspire their bilingual students because they
already feel apprehensive using the English language. What teachers need to realize is the impact
they can have on bilingual student with barriers to overcome (Nieto, pg 3). On top of these issues
there is a lack of resources which makes it even more difficult to teach kids about oral
communication. Teacher accessibility to textbooks and other resources for their classes is getting
more difficult(Hammond, pg 1). In order for schools to see student performance increase, a shift
in how resources are used must take effect (Miles, pg2). If teachers do not have enough resources
to make activities beneficial for their students no new information will be learned.
There are many ways that teachers can inspire oral communication. By inspiring students
teachers will find that the children learn more because they are actively involved and enjoying
the activity at the same time. For example, Marsha Warren had her class read aloud when they
were going over the lesson material (Marsha Warren, pg 1). Some suggestions for activities
include debates, class plays or skits, presenting projects, or class share. Debates are beneficial

because the class can divide up and logically and in an organized manner debate issues they feel
strongly about. When children can talk about topics they know in front of people it inspires them
to speak more. Another thing debates inspire is patience, when one person is trying to talk others
must learn to yield and wait their turn. By communicating in this way not only are children
perfecting their public speaking skills but are learning to interpret social cues from their
classmates. Class share is another way to inspire children to talk because when they bring
something to share it is familiar to them, so they dont mind talking about it out loud to the class.
Projects are an activity teachers should utilize more often. To have the child learn the
information and tell the class that way is also beneficial. The child will feel like the area they
researched is an area of expertise for them. When children learn new information they are often
eager to tell others what they have learned. Lastly teachers can perform plays and skits with their
students while covering class material and requirements (Strahan, pg2). Children performing and
having to recite lines helps them become comfortable in front of an audience. By utilizing the
activities above teachers can increase their students communication skills. Performing, debating,
teaching, and sharing are all ways students can become comfortable with talking. But as stated
before, with the increased pressure to cram information for the standardized testing, and the
sheer quantity of students teachers often get, it is almost impossible to spend enough time
perfecting their oral communication skills.
In conclusion children require skills other than math, reading, writing, and science. Oral
communication is a skill that children will need as adults. In order to get a job you are
interviewed, to accept awards you must make speeches, when networking with people it is
important to know what to say about yourself and how to keep in touch with them. Being able to
communicate effectively orally is a key element to success in the work world, education is the
great equalizer of the conditions of men (Mann, pg 2). If schools see how important oral
communications is, understand why there is limited time to teach it, and look at other ways to
incorporate it into the school day, children would benefit. There is no greater joy than teaching a
child something they will use and need for the rest of their lives.

Oral language is the foundation for student learning. It is essential for literacy learning, and successful
use of language is critical for students wellbeing. Almost all classroom-based learning relies on oral
language.

Students vary in their ability to use their existing language in order to learn. The level of oral language
knowledge and competency of some students is substantially different from the demands of the
curriculum.
An explicit oral language program acknowledges that the Speaking & Listening dimension of the English
Domain requires further elaboration for those students with oral language difficulties, or gaps in language
knowledge, skills and practice.

Oral communication skills are essential both within the classroom and society. There
are issues teachers face, but there are ways to help students explore different ways
of communicating. This wiki page explores the importance of oral communication
skills. I have researched two approaches to teaching oral communication for the
English Language Artscurriculum, and have provided multiple activities, resources
for mini-lessons, and assessment ideas for teachers to use in the classroom.