Oral communication in the English language arts curriculum: A national perspective

Abstract

This comprehensive study of the place of oral communication in the English language arts curriculum of K‐72 schools was based on a telephone survey of all 50 states and an examination of the curriculum frameworks of the 38 states that publish them. We analyzed the major conceptual bases and organizational patterns, integration of listening and speaking with the other language arts, resources offered, classroom assessment, and extent to which the oral communication content reflects current thinking in communication education. Over 60 percent of the frameworks give extensive treatment to oral communication, but there is great variability in approaches. Thirty‐four of the frameworks use five organizational patterns, two use mixed models, and two states are in transition. The most specificity is found where listening and speaking are treated as separate strands or analyzed by grade levels; the most superficial treatments of oral communication are in common core and completely integrated models. We recommend that communication education scholars and teachers take a more active role to ensure adequate treatment of oral communication in the English language arts curriculum.