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

This knowledge and skills statement is unique in that it focuses exclusively on the domains of listening and speaking as opposed to all four domains of language. In the oral language substrand, students should develop and enhance their skills in active listening, following and giving instructions, collaborating, and giving oral presentations.