Louise Dempsey: Embedding Oral Language Across the Curriculum

 Cluster Teacher Only Day: Sheena Cameron and Louise Dempsey (The Literacy Place)

Embedding Oral Language Across the Curriculum

"Talk plays a central role in learning; in learning how to think and in talking your way into meaning."
- Christine Edwards Grove, Michéle Antsey and Geoff Bull

What does research tell us about student talk in the classroom?

5 Nations Study - Alexander 2001 (UK, France, India, Russia, US)

- Teacher talk was dominated by questions.

- 10% of questions were open.

- Student responses were on average 5 seconds and 70% were 3 words or less

Nuthall 2005

A hands up culture controlled by the teacher severely limits student talk and often results in a small group dominating the talk in a competitive manner.

"Why would we only ask one or two to speak when we can engage everyone through talking."

Think/Pair/Share Culture:

Important to ensure that they have a think time (at least 5 seconds) before the share with their partner. Share doesn't have to always happen as a class it can be just with their partner. With a new to English speaker put them into 3's. 

Must come up with criteria for talking. Set partners: If you are going to change partners often, research says, then don't worry about ability. If you are keeping them together for a set amount of time (no longer than one month), then research says they should be closeish in ability.

Students Actively Listening to each other and not just the teacher.

Think, Pair, Record

Think, Pair, Record

Think, Pair, Walk and Talk

Having students listen to the audio of a video only helps them to focus their listening. 

We listened to this and predicted what the setting, characters and whats happening. We had to justify why we thought those things. Then we watched it ...

Students talking in full sentences and elaborating on ideas:

This has to be an expectation for all no matter where they are or who they are. Sentence stems will support this until it becomes natural. Likewise talking strips and elaboration role cards.

Using alternatives to questions:

Final Thoughts

- reduce teacher talk, put the power in the hands of the students

- no hands

- ensure their is a 5-8 sec think time given at each time. 

- horsehoe model is the best organisation for a talking session