The four strands of oracy

Physical
Voice
• Fluency, pace & clarity of speaking • Tonal variation
• Voice projection
Body language
• Gesture & posture • Facial expression & eye contact
Physical-voice
• Fluency, pace & clarity of speaking
• These aid in speech clarity and in getting your point across. They may also convey
confidence and lend credibility to your points

• Tonal variation
• Varying the intonations you use and avoiding monotony keeps your audience
interested in what you’re sharing

• Voice projection
• Projecting and ‘throwing’ your voice ensures your audience can hear you in public
speaking situations.
Physical -body language
• Gesture & posture
• Using appropriate gestures avoids a monotonous speech and provides
emphasis where needed
• Posture is important in conveying confidence and credibility
• Facial expression & eye contact
• These keep your audience engaged
Linguistic
Vocabulary & Language
• Appropriate vocabulary choice & grammar usage
• Use the correct and appropriate elements to enhance the credibility of your points
and to suit your audience

Rhetorical techniques
• Rhetorical techniques such as metaphor, humour, irony & mimicry
• These elements provide enhancement and variation to your speeches and keep
them from becoming monotonous
Cognitive
Structure
• Structure & organisation of talk
• Organising your speech provides your audience a better framework to understand
your points. Outline the main points followed by explanations and then examples

Clarifying & Summarising

• Seeking information & clarification through questioning
• Clarifying things you don’t understand and asking for further information is part of
good communication practice. These allow for better understanding of the
information being shared

• Summarising
• Summarising points provides your audience with a ‘capture’ of the information you
shared and gives them take home points
Cognitive
Reasoning
• Giving reasons to support views
• Provides more credibility to the information you’re sharing

• Critically examining ideas & views expressed

• Not just taking things at face value but critiquing what you hear
Social & Emotional
Audience awareness
•Taking account of level of understanding of the audience
• Know your audience and tailor your message accordingly

Listening & responding

• Listening actively & responding appropriately
• Use active and empathic listening skills
• Respond to the full message received