Book contents
- Oracy
- Oracy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Foreword: The Oracy That Democracy Needs
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Debating Oracy in the UK
- Part II Oracy in Global Context
- Part III Oracy in History and in Theory
- 10 What the Chartists and Suffragettes Realised about Oracy
- 11 From Elocution to Empowerment
- 12 Releasing Civic Voices
- 13 The Trouble with Oracy?
- Index
- References
11 - From Elocution to Empowerment
Some Perspectives on the Evolution of Oracy
from Part III - Oracy in History and in Theory
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 September 2025
By
Edited by
Book contents
- Oracy
- Oracy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Foreword: The Oracy That Democracy Needs
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Debating Oracy in the UK
- Part II Oracy in Global Context
- Part III Oracy in History and in Theory
- 10 What the Chartists and Suffragettes Realised about Oracy
- 11 From Elocution to Empowerment
- 12 Releasing Civic Voices
- 13 The Trouble with Oracy?
- Index
- References
Summary
In Chapter 11, Alan Howe, one of the leading figures in the history of British oracy education, offers a personal history of the implementation of oracy over the last four decades. His essay "From Elocution to Empowerment " starts with Andrew Wilkinson’s 1965 work, before discussing what he calls the five ages of oracy: the Prescriptive Age, Corrective Age, Expressive Age, Participative Age, and Reductive Era. Howe argues that these ages represent shifts in perception and emphasis, from correcting speech to celebrating natural language development and encouraging political engagement. By building carefully on this history, he makes the case that oracy can become a major force for empowerment and social change.
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- OracyThe Politics of Speech Education, pp. 152 - 167Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
References
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