Leading scholars and teachers in the field are represented in this volume on the wide role of oracy in schools.

Oracy - current trends in context; the irrepressible genre; oral exchange - a historical review; oracy in England; the politics of oracy; anecdote and the development of oral argument in 16 years old; small group talk; is there a task in this class? the literate potential of collaborative talk; the roots of oracy - early language at home and at school; putting context into oracy - the construction of shared knowledge through classroom and discourse; oral models in the press; scripting for creative video; children's oral cultures - a transitional experience; counting out - form and function of children's counting out rhymes.