Over time, oral communication skills develop from social and less complex to more academic and complex as students progress through grade levels. Students reach higher levels of language complexity by engaging with the language regularly through the acts of listening, speaking, and participating in discussions. Students should have the opportunity to act as both the recipient (so they can practice listening to understand the meaning) and as the speaker (so they can practice constructing language to convey meaning) of verbal messages.

This knowledge and skills statement is unique in that it focuses on the first two domains of language, listening and speaking, which are the precursors to reading and writing. In the oral language substrand, students develop and enhance their skills in active listening, following and giving instructions, collaborating, and giving oral presentations.

the system through which we use spoken words to express knowledge, ideas, and feelings