Www.languagessoutheast.ac.uk S8 How to develop classroom talk at KS3 & 4

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S8 How to develop classroom talk at KS3 & 4

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Objective

• To help delegates promote KS3-4 students' use of target language (TL) for day-to-day social communication and for talking about their work.

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classroom talkvstalking in the classroom

Discuss

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E.g. for:

• classroom routines• communicating lesson objectives• discussing points of language• discussing pupils’ work• teaching techniques for more independent

learning

‘Classroom talk’

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Discuss

• In a typical lesson, how much speaking (in English/TL) is ‘classroom talk’ and how much is talk about the theme of the lesson?

• How much of your talk is TL?• How much of students’ talk is in TL?• How much TL speaking does each student get to

do?

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Target Language

Too often, students were not taught how to respond to everyday requests and thus routine work in the target language and opportunities to use it spontaneously were too few The Ofsted report Modern Languages: Achievement and Challenge 2007-10

The judicious use of English is sometimes appropriate for checking conceptual understanding or developing analytical skills KS3 Framework

Certain aspects of the current teaching and learning agenda (e.g. AFL, PLTS, ICU) can lead to reduced TL use.

If pupils are to master and use a language for effective communication, the target language needs to be used extensively by teachers and pupils KS3 Framework

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• Handout 1 describes four activity styles aimed at building learner expertise in understanding teacher instructions:– Suggest an additional activity with the same

aim as the handout activities in mind.

Preaching by example: teacher instructions

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Ouvrez votre livre à la page 23!… Oui, parce qu’on a fini la page 21 lundi, et la page 22 n’est pas très utile. Allez, c’est bon? La page 23? Vous avez trouvé la page 23?

Preaching by example: teacher instructions

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Fermez la porte, s’il vous plait!..

Preaching by example: teacher instructions

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The KS3 Framework for languages

1.4 – Talking together (1st set of objectives)

• Year 7 – Construct and generate language, using a stock of words, phrases and sentences for social communication and to talk about their work

• Year 8 – Initiate and participate in unrehearsed pupil-teacher and pupil-pupil exchanges

• Year 9 – Make extended and/or frequent contributions to classroom talk

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Classroom talk: how to develop learner expertise

• Building blocks

en Italieaux Étas-unisen Espagne

L’année dernière, je suis allé(e)

J’ai visitéla plageles muséesles magasins

Je suis resté(e)

et

dans une tentedans une familledans une gîte

et c’était

J’aimais bien mais pasla chaleur.La nouritureles embouteillages.

L’année prochaine, j’irai enFranceEspagneSwede

confortable.bien equipé(e).très moderne.

j’ai fait du veloj’ai joué au footj’ai fait des excursions

les restaurantsles marchesles jeunes

faire de l’alpinisme.faire du canoë-kayac.visiter les attractions.

pour

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• Building blocks

Can I work with Tom today?

I can’t do the test next Tuesday because I must go to the dentist’s at 10.00.

Classroom talk: how to develop learner expertise

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• Building blocks – Modelling

– The teacher models how familiar language can be recycled in order to create new messages for day-to-day communication. For example, the class originally met the phrase Can I? in Can I take my jacket off? and the teacher now models how it can help create new messages such as Can I open the window? or Can I work with Paul?

(from KS3 Framework Exemplification - Substrand 1.4)

Classroom talk: how to develop learner expertise

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Classroom talk: how to develop learner expertise

• Handout 2

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A few other relevant KS3 Framework objectives (year 7)– (4.2) Build and use in new contexts a stock of high-

frequency words and words relating to everyday settings– (4.4) Use knowledge of word order, high-frequency

words and punctuation to understand and build simple and compound sentences

– (4.5) Understand and use some high-frequency modal verb forms in simple statements and questions

– (4.6) Understand and use confidently some common question types in different contexts)

Classroom talk: how to develop learner expertise

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Speaking

• National curriculum level 4– Pupils (…) begin to use their knowledge of

grammar to adapt and substitute single words and phrases. (…)

• National curriculum level 5– Pupils (…) vary their language and

sometimes produce more extended responses. (…)

Classroom talk: how to develop learner expertise

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• Permanent wall displays of key language & organic word walls which are added to as language is discovered

• Dedicated section in vocabulary books / dedicated computer file or page in School/dept home planners

• Placemats/menu

• ‘Hot’ words

Classroom talk: how to develop learner expertise

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Classroom talk: how to increase participation

• Pupils know that their willingness to play an active part in day-to-day classroom communication (…) is evaluated as part of their overall progress in the subject.

(from KS3 Framework Exemplification - Substrand 1.4)

• Accuracy / communication

• Prompts and challenges

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E.g.

– Use of the alphabet– masculine / plural / preterite / …– noun / verb / adjective / …– letter / accent / vowel / prefix / word / phrase

/ sentence / …– agrees with / add / remove / before / after /

…in target language.

TL about language

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Mateo Falcone (Prosper Mérimée)

Autrefois, en Corse, les criminels se cachaient dans les montagnes pour échapper à la police. Ils y restaient parfois pendant des années et mangeaient grâce à la nature et à des amis qui les protégeaient.

Mateo était un fermier respecté mais dangereux: avant son mariage, il avait tué un rival. Un matin, il est parti travailler avec sa femme Giuseppa.

Leur fils, Fortunato, est resté seul à la maison. Après quelques heures, un homme est arrivé et lui a dit:

― Petit, la police me cherche! Je connais bien ton père. Aide-moi!

TL about language

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TL about language

Modelling using TL• E.g. modelling how to turn two short sentences

into one longer sentence.

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• TL about language (see previous slides)• High-frequency TL phrases

TL about students’ work

• In my opinion / I think that…• You/he/she/they need(s) (to)…• You/he/she/they should…• You/he/she/they could…• Why have you used…?• Have you checked…?• I found…• ...

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TL about language

• The teacher displays a piece of writing and makes fair/unfair comments on it in TL – e.g.: All the sentences are very short.– Students respond through gesture (e.g. thumbs

up/down).– If they have sufficient expertise they also

respond in TL.

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TL about language

• More advanced version of the above - The teacher displays a piece of writing and invites students to evaluate it using TL. During this process the teacher:– encourages peer responses;– gives personal reactions;– asks questions if appropriate, e.g.:

• How varied are the structures? Can you quote some interesting structures used here?

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Next steps

In the light of this session:

• What changes do you feel able to make immediately to your day-to-day practice?

• What steps might your department take to develop classroom talk at KS3-4?

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QTS Standards

• Q14 & 15 – Subjects & Curriculum

• Q25(c) – Adapting Language to suit learners

• Q26(a) – AFL techniques

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Further CPD

Languages South East offers a wide range of continuing professional development courses

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Courses developed for Links into Languages - Crown Copyright http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/open-government-licence.htm

www.rachelhawkes.comhttp://sdvaughan.edublogs.orgwww.all-languages.org.uk/