The art of speaking: oratory in education as a formative, ethical, and democratic praxis

Abstract

This article analyzes oratory as a constitutive dimension of human formation in the educational context, understanding it not merely as a discursive technique but as a pedagogical, ethical, and political praxis. It is based on the premise that the spoken word, as a symbolic and social action, plays a central role in the construction of subjectivity, the development of critical thinking, and democratic participation. The objective of the study is to discuss how the systematic teaching of oratory can contribute to students’ integral formation and to the consolidation of a dialogical and humanizing education. The methodology adopts a qualitative, exploratory, and bibliographical approach, grounded in hermeneutic analysis. The results indicate that valuing orality within school practices strengthens student agency, promotes argumentation and active listening, and reaffirms language as a fundamental instrument of humanization and social transformation.