Oral Language

'I wish my class wasn't so talkative and they would just settle down to work.' When I was a young teacher, I thought that a silent class automatically meant a class that is working and that I would be admired by my colleagues and the principal for 'building this purposeful learning context'. I now know that perhaps this was not the case. I am also surprised that I really believed this as I know when I want to work, think and solve problems that I need to talk and talk a lot.

When did the acceptance of talk in the learning context become widespread? And, more importantly, is it common and what do the curriculum guidelines about the place of talk in learning say? The following chapter takes a very strong stance on the centrality of talk in learning, and rationalises this by referring to the work of two researchers who have investigated exploratory talk and the dialogic classroom.