Definition of "oralism" [oralism]

• The theory or practice of teaching hearing-impaired or deaf persons to communicate by means of spoken language. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "This viewpoint is now known as oralism, since it emphasizes the development of oral language skills in deaf individuals."
• "At an international conference of rehabilitation professionals -- much like this one -- the school of thought called oralism won the day."
• "The trouble started when an inquisitive student got lost somewhere between "oralism" and"