Dialogic teaching in language classrooms

1. Dialogic teachingin language classrooms

2. Do you know what RHINOs are? Really Here In Name Only Do you discover any ‘Rhinos’ in your classrooms?

3. How often are you a ‘Rhino’? When? Where? In what contexts? Well, how often do you discover ‘parrots’ in your class?

4. Common types of language classroom talks • Expository • Interrogatory • Dialogic • Evaluative

5. Classroom talks as a vehicle for … • Rote learning • Exposition or Explanation • Direct instruction • Scaffolded instruction

6. Classroom talks as a vehicle for … • Problem solving • Task completion • Enquiry • Discussion …

7. Learning talks • The ability to narrate, explain, question, answer, discuss, negotiate… and • The preparedness to listen, to be receptive to ideas

8. Teaching talk • Rote (teacher – class) : the drilling of forms, sounds etc. through constant repetition • Recitation (teacher-class or teacher-group): cues to stimulate recall of what has been learned

9. Teaching talk (con’t) • Instruction/exposition (teacher-class, teacher-group, teacher-individual): instruct, impart information, explain

10. Teaching talk (con’t) • Scaffolded dialogue (teacher-class, teacher-group, teacher-individual, pupil-pupil): cueing for responses from pupils through structured or sequenced prompts

11. Teaching talk (con’t) • Discussion (pupil-pupil with or without teacher): talk among members intended to enable ideas, information to be shared or problems to be solved

12. The tripartite dialogic repertoire for language teachers • Learning talk - narrate, explain, question and answer, active listening … • Teaching talk - rote, recitation, exposition, discussion, dialogue … • Interactive strategies (whole class teaching, group work led by teacher, group work led by students, paired work, one-to-one teacher-pupil discussion)

13. Five dialogic principles • Collective: T/P address learning tasks together • Reciprocal: T/P active listening and sharing • Supportive: P expresses freely in a supportive environment

14. Five dialogic principles (con’t) • Cumulative: T/P build on own ideas and construct new understanding • Purposeful: T plans and steer classroom talk with specific educational goals in view

15. Dialogic teaching and Collaborative Lesson Planning Manipulating and relating the tripartite dialogic repertoire and the five dialogic principles to curriculum planning, putting it in action, and reflect

16. Teachers’ dialogues as triggers to cycles of transformation Growth and Development Problem Situations Cognitive / Pedagogical Dissonance Reflections Intervention Strategies and Learning experiences

17. Teachers’ dialogues as triggers to cycles of transformation • Problem Situations • Cognitive/ Pedagogical Dissonance

18. Teacher role Goals Input Learner role TASKS Activities Settings Intervention Strategies and Learning experiences

19. The task is a piece of meaning-focused work involving learners in comprehending, producing and/or interacting in the target language, and the tasks are analyzed according to their goals, input, activities, settings and roles. (Nunan, 1992)

20. Reflections: When? How deep? Who? Why?

21. Features of interactive teaching Surface features • Engaging pupils • Pupil practical and active involvement • Broad pupil participation • Collaborative activity • Conveying knowledge

22. Deep features • Assessing and extending knowledge • Reciprocity and meaning making • Attention to thinking and learning skills • Attention to pupils’ social and emotional needs/skills

23. The range of possible questions to ask in teachers’ dialogues On intentions/purposes • What were your intentions/aims/ in using this strategy • How far successful? • Your expectations on pupils? • Did the context influence your purposes?

24. On Self awareness • Feelings at the moment? • Roots to this feeling?

25. On Technical reflection • What were you doing? • How did you decide what outcomes were appropriate? • Why chose this strategy? • Breaking down into different aspects • How prior experiences influence your actions?

26. On Practical reflection • Your assumption? • Alternate actions/solutions? • Other sources of alternate knowledge? • What values were presented in your teaching?

27. On Critical reflection • What ethical/moral choices made? • What wider forces applied? • How are pupils affected by your actions? • Does the practice offer equality? Moyles et. al. (2003) Interactive Teaching in the Primary School

28. Growth and development in knowledge, skills and dispositions in language teaching and learning • What has been learned? • How is it learned ?

29. Variations in the curriculum design and teaching strategies by schools – focus of dialogues in the sharing session Group 1 Moving away from guided writing - Encouraging discussion among pupils

30. Variations in the curriculum design and teaching strategies by schools – focus of dialogues in the sharing session(con’t) Group 2 Using graphic organizers to improve reading and writing - Interacting with the prints for meaning

31. Variations in the curriculum design and teaching strategies by schools – focus of dialogues in the sharing session(con’t) Group 3 Promoting oral interaction The Input – Practice – Feedback loop

32. Variations in the curriculum design and teaching strategies by schools – focus of dialogues in the sharing session(con’t) Group 4 Journal writing as a method to improve students’ writing - Allowing genuine communication between teachers and students

33. Variations in the curriculum design and teaching strategies by schools – focus of dialogues in the sharing session(con’t) Group 5 Reading workshop - Using instructional strategies to help construct meaning from texts Students Teachers Construct meaning Texts

35. A final note Beyond the dialogue of the voices, then, is a dialogue of minds. (Alexander, 2005)