This article describes a small-scale study which emanated from the concern of the head teachers and staff of two primary schools serving deprived, multicultural areas of an inner city. The concern of the staff related to the level of their pupils' spoken language skills through the schools and the perceived impact that this has on pupils learning more widely. The article explores the nature and importance of oral language development in the early years and describes an intervention designed to enhance the spoken language skills of the reception children. The pre-intervention scores of the children at school entry indicated that the language skills of the children were less well developed than those of the general population. The findings suggest that the intervention had a positive effect on the speaking and listening skills of the reception children and that the teachers' involvement in the research contributed to their professional development.