Talk Is Power
- Nov 9, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 8
Peter Munroe - Head of Chemistry and Oracy Specialist explains 3 things about the power of talk to inspire you as you deliver an excellent oracy education for all your students.
At the end of this school year, I’ll be saying goodbye to my year 11 tutor group, and the thought puts me in a reflective mood. I took on this wonderful bunch when they were in year 8 and have seen them through all kinds. From friendship dramas to lost blazers- we’ve been through a lot. I have to say, on most days, I think they just see me as a room to dump their football boots and art folders in, but I hope their time with me has been a positive one. My reflecting has got me thinking about what advice I might give them as they go off into the big wide world. As a keen advocate for oracy, I honestly can’t think of anything better to tell them than this- talk is power.
If my students can recognise the power of speech, I believe they will experience a much richer experience- not just in education, but in life. Here’s three things about the power of talk, with the hope will inspire you as you deliver an excellent oracy education for all your students.
1- Talk opens doors
Oracy is about learning to talk confidently for a “wide range of purposes” (https://voice21.org/ground-rules-for-talk/), and being a brilliant talker in any situation opens doors for all our students to new opportunities, jobs and qualifications.
One obvious way that talk opens doors is in an interview. Thinking of my year 11 tutor group, many of them will experience interviews for the first time during this school year, whether for part time jobs, colleges or apprenticeships. In them, they will have a matter of minutes to make an impression and show off their best work, all whilst trying to present themselves as humble and likeable. It’s no easy task!
Talking in an interview is a performative way of speaking, projecting confidence when you perhaps don’t feel it, and presenting your achievements in a way you never would to friends (people would think you were very weird if you kept telling them what a dynamic team player you were in everyday conversation). No matter how good you are on paper, the way you talk in an interview can make all the difference. People need to push through nerves and switch into a formal “interview mode” of speaking, whilst maintaining their own authentic voice.
There are also social conventions about interview talk that students may not be aware of. I interview candidates for teaching roles and help to run mock interviews for students applying to university. One of the biggest differences I notice between the adults and students is an awareness of these social conventions. These “norms”, such as eye contact and greeting the interviewer, are easy for the adults, but only because they have experience. Students with no prior experience need to be explicitly taught these skills.
As I look at my year 11 form group, I want all of them to have as many open doors into courses and jobs as possible. A rich and varied oracy education will support them learning how to use talk in a formal setting and build vital confidence in speaking.
2- Talk is more important than ever
In a world of AI, where essays and reports can be written in a matter of seconds, the ability to talk in presentations and assessments holds massive value. Talking powerfully is more important than ever.
Think about your week ahead- how many times will you be presenting? For me, I’ve got the staff meeting on Monday, the department meeting on Wednesday and one of those student progress meetings on Friday (let alone all those lessons I have to teach). In each of those I will need to explain something, stick to time and hopefully hold the interest of my listeners. Obviously teaching involves lots of talking, but presentations form a key part of most careers. A good oracy education prepares you to speak about your work to other people, whether it’s colleagues, customers or clients.
Assessment is another area where talk is becoming more central. Whilst in schools, oral assessments have been phased out over the years, they have seen a real resurgence in Higher Education. This is partly in response to the ever looming threat of AI cheating in essays, but also because they offer a deep insight into student understanding. Doctoral candidates have long had to undergo the viva voce, a brutal oral assessment that can last for hours, but more verbal assessments are being used in HE at other levels. My PGCE student last year had a verbal assessment at the end of their placement, and science departments are using oral assessment in undergraduate lab work.
A well-rounded oracy education doesn’t just help our students to get into great jobs and courses, it helps them to succeed when they get there. Geoff Barton and Amy Gaunt sum this up neatly as follows; “In a world shaped by the disruptive rise of artificial intelligence… it is no longer enough for young people simply to ‘know’. They must be able to question, to argue, to listen, and to understand” (https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/why-oracy-education-has-never-mattered-more/)
3- Talk opens your heart
OK, this might be the cheesiest subheading I’ve ever written, but it might be the most important aspect of oracy. Being able to express yourself, share your frustrations and open your feelings to others through talk will change the lives of our students far more than learning to talk in any interview or assessment. As any parent of young children will confirm, many of the arguments they have stem from poor communication- I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve said to my own children “use words” when they get frustrated with each other.
Just like the oracy skills that we all need in interviews, presentations and assessment, the skills for communicating emotions need to be taught. This is something that happens in primary schools but can be allowed to fade into the background in secondary as the pressure of impending exams crowds in. This can be where the form tutor comes into the picture- modelling emotional intelligence and sharing stories of their own experience in a way that there might not be time for in a normal lesson. Teachers too must recognise the power of talking through their emotions- when I have been supporting students in a challenging situation, sometimes I need someone to check in with me and make sure I’m ok.
The power of talk
Whatever age you teach, we should recognise the power of talk to open doors for our students, to support them as they navigate a changing world and to help them express themselves. Providing a high quality oracy education is therefore not just an optional extra, but a core part of our role as teachers.
About the Author
Peter Munroe is a secondary science teacher and researcher with a passion for using talk for learning. He is interested in using oracy and dialogue in the classroom and has researched the barriers to talk in lessons. He has written for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Association of Science Education and speaks about oracy across the country.
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