Oracy: Social facets of language learning

Saracho, O. N., & Spodek, B. (2007). Oracy: Social facets of language learning. Early Child Development and Care, 177(6-7), 695-705. doi: 10.1080/03004430701377540

Background

There is an increased interest in language development, in particular, with regard to the social contexts in which oracy develops.

Aims

The article summarizes studies focusing on how language develops, the experiences that help children see the relationship between the spoken and written language, and teacher roles in this process.

Sample

As the authors are summarizing existing studies, no sample is included. The studies appear to cover a number of languages, but the range and details are not given.

Method

The authors discuss the findings of a number of studies, relating them to each other to build up a picture of the facets involved in child language development.

Findings

One study the authors looked at indicated that the number of words a child was exposed to in the early years significantly affected their language development at age 3 and their literacy development at age 9. Further analysis indicated it was in conversation with other children and with their parents that children developed their language. In another study, it was found that children needed to learn to respond with explanations and elaboration in dialogue with others so as to prepare them for the decontextualized language used in school. An important part of the children’s learning was play which promoted their language development as they interacted with others and their environment. Through play, they became aware of different points of view and the world around them. The authors suggested that the action plans generated during play helped children learn to be part of a literate community where members cooperated in the process of meaning making.

Implications

In the pre-school years, children needed a range of experiences including children’s literature, poetry, puppetry, etc. Studies showed that it was important for children to hear the sounds of the language, and games, nursery rhymes, jingles and poems could help in this. The authors concluded that the emphasis in pre-school years should be on oral language exercises as these prepared children to later see the relationship between the written and spoken language. Children should be encouraged to generate ideas using language and other means of communication, to listen to the ideas of others and then to go back and check that the ideas held up against actual experience.

Original article retrieved from EBSCOHost.