Week 1

PGCE

Types of talk

To understand how speaking and listening underpin all aspects of learning both within and beyond literacy;

To explore the different ways that teachers can engage children in talk-based activities;

To understand the role of the teacher in facilitating rather than leading talk.

Objectives

Consider your own ‘talk’ history

What was the impact of your location?Do you speak languages other than

English?Were you/are you aware of being judged

how you talk?Was there an influence of your family or

peers?Were you aware of any impact of

different media or popular culture?

“All that the children write, your response [as educator] to what they write, their response to each other, all this takes place afloat upon a sea of talk. Talk is what provides the links between you and them and what they write, between what they have written and each other.”

(Britton, 1970: 29)

A sea of talk

Talk for learningTalk as part of imaginative

engagementDrama, role-play, literate activities

Talk & first-hand experiencesInterviews, visits, pictures,

storytelling

Directed talk linked to learningTalk partners, group discussion,

presentations

Key questions

What do you notice about the children’s use of language?

What did you notice about the teacher’s use of language?

Is there anything that surprised or interested you?

Dialogic teaching“Dialogic teaching harnesses the power of

talk to engage children, stimulate and extend their thinking and advance learning and understanding” Alexander 2006:37

Alexander’s 5 categories of talk

• drilling of facts ideas and routines through constant repetitionRote

• questions that test or prompt recall of what has previously been encountered

• Questions that cue pupils to work out the answer from the clues provided

Recitation

• telling pupils what to do and imparting information and explaining facts, principles and procedures

Instruction/

exposition

Alexander’s 5 categories of talk

• the exchange of ideas with a view to sharing information and solving problems

Discussion

• achieving common understanding through structured, cumulative questioning and purposeful discussion

Dialogue

What does the research tell us about talk that goes on in the classroom?

I InitiationR ResponseF Feedback

(Sinclair and Coulthard 1975)

A dialogic classroom – your aimTeachers:Guide and develop children’s contributionsAre good talk modelsMake talk visibleAgree ‘ground rules’Balance teacher-led discussion and group workGive them something interesting to talk aboutGive space to explore an ideaAsk questions that lead to extended, thoughtful,

reasoned answers.Use a repertoire of talk

Become a dialogic teacher

Alexander (2006)

Exploratory talk is hesitant and incomplete because it enables the speaker to try out ideas, to hear how they sound, to see what others make of them, to arrange information and ideas into different patterns…in exploratory talk the speaker is more concerned with sorting out his or her own thoughts.

Barnes D in Dawes L. and Mercer, N. (2008) Exploring Talk in School London: Sage

Exploratory talk is thinking aloud together - constructing knowledge through talk

Great Little movers and shakersLev VygotskyJerome BrunerNeil MercerRobin AlexanderSocrates

Language and thought :VygotskyVygotsky stressed that thought is not merely

expressed in words it comes into existence through them

He considered all speech to be socialised or to have a communicative function

Children can learn effectively through interaction with a more knowledgeable other

Corden, 2000, p.7-8

New informationWhat they know and don’t knowHow to use language for thinkingMake sense of the world

By talking, it changes your thinking and then you have to develop new ways of using language.

Inter-thinking

Lev Vygotsky

Merc

er,

20

07

Joint activityInterthinkingIntermental spaceIntramental spaceArticulateAnalyseChains of responseModify in the light of other people’s

contributions

Language and thought: Bruner

Bruner argued that:Learning is facilitated through organised and

structured learning experiencesChildren need to be provided with opportunities

to extend their current understandingSpeech is a primary instrument of thought Bruner named the provision of appropriate

frameworks for social interaction “scaffolding”.

Corden, 2000, p. 9-11

What might this look like in your classroom?

Plan and set up activities that require:

talk across the curriculumopportunities to talk at lengthspeaking to different audiencestalking with different levels of

formalitytalking for different purposes

19

A Productive Question is… Open – children answer as they see fit and

at the level of their own understanding Probing – further information or

clarification is sought Reflective – children have to consider and

evaluate Hypothetical – children consider situations

and convey opinions, values and perceptionsPrimary National Strategy (2006) Excellence and Enjoyment DfES Ref: 0013-2006PCK-

EN

Speaking and Listening Map of Development

Beginning phaseEarly phaseExploratory languageConsolidating phaseConventional phaseProficient phaseAdvanced phase

Key indicators - what might you see?Major teaching emphasis - what is your role?

First Steps (2006)Previously titled: Indicators for Oral Language Developmental Continuum

What does exploratory talk look like

Actively participateAsk each other

questionsShare relevant

informationGive reasons for their

viewsConstructively criticiseTry to reach agreement

Mercer (2007)

o Asking questionso Including relevant informationo Justifying ideas o Having ground ruleso Using reasoning words – if, but, becauseo Trying to reach an agreemento Trusting each other and acting as a team

Mercer et al (1999)

Robert Fisher’s contributionTalking to think: why children need

philosophical discussion http://www.teachingthinking.net/thinking/web%20resources/robert_fisher_talkingtothink.htm 

Robert Fisher’s homepage http://www.teachingthinking.net/

Britton, J. (1970). Language and learning. Harmondsworth: Penguin

Geekie, P., Camborne, B., & Fitzsimmons, P. (1999) Understanding Literacy Development. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books pp.107-117

Medwell, J., Wray, D., Pouslon, L., Fox, R., (220020 Teaching Literacy Effectively in the Primary School.

Mercer, N. (2000) Words & Minds. London: Routledge pp. 121-137

Mercer, N. (1995) The Guided Construction of Knowledge. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters

Mercer, N. & Littleton, K. (2007) Dialogue and the development of children’s thinking. London:Routledge

Myhill, D., Jones, S. & Hopper, R. (2006) Talking, Listening and Learning. Berkshire: OUP

NAA (2004) Building a Picture of What Children Can Do. London: NAA

OfSTED (2005) English 2000-2005: A review of inspection evidence. London: Ofsted

Bibliography