When Keir Starmer mentioned oracy in a policy speech in 2023, media discussions immediately focused on the idea of elocution and teaching pupils how to speak ‘properly’.
This is unfortunate. How people pronounce words is just one of many aspects of oracy. And let’s be clear – there isn’t only one correct way to pronounce them.
Here’s a relevant and fascinating article by sociolinguist Rob Drummond. Is it possible to speak ‘without an accent’? https://theconversation.com/dont-blame-parents-for-wanting-their-children-to-speak-differently-blame-society-223050
More on accents
