Teacher talk

Teacher talk:

 presenting, clarifying, checking, modelling new or revised language;

 setting up activities or giving instructions and feedback;
 providing language input: for example, when telling a story;
 establishing rapport by chatting: for example, about what the students did
at the weekend, what you are planning to do in the evening, etc.

What are the advantages of teacher talk?

 The teacher is a very valuable source of language. Language in the

classroom is genuinely communicative.
 Teacher taIk is needed for good classroom management - to give clear
instructions, to tell the students what to expect, to call on students by
name, etc.
 You can provide authentic listening texts for your students. It is not always
necessary to play a recording you can provide the real thing.
 You can often provide the best model for new language. The students can
both hear and see you clearly.
 You can explain something about the language that is being learned in a
helpful and reassuring way, and check the students' understanding.

What are the disadvantages of teacher talk?

 When you talk too much then students aren’t being given maximum
opportunity to talk.
 You won’t be listening to the students closely enough, thinking too much
about what you’re going to say next.
 If you talk ―for‖ the students they will become demotivated.
 There is a danger, especially at lower levels, that the language you use is
more difficult to understand than the language being learned.

Source: Adapted from: Teaching Practice Handbook p.33 (MacMillan) Roger Gower, Diane
Phillips, Steve Walters.
How to use eye contact
 To ensure_________ that the students have u_____________ what
understood
they are supposed to do.
speak
 To indicate who is to s_________ (usually accompanied by a nod) when
repeat a word or sentence, or to
calling on one after the other to r_________
make
m___________ a response. respond rephase
contributions elicit
 To encourage c_____________ when you are trying to e__________ ideas
or specific language from the students.

 show
To s__________ a student who is talking that you are t________
n___________.

 To hold the a___________ activity not being addressed and to

attention of students
e________ them to listen to those doing the talking.
engage
in touch
 To keep i_________ with other students in the class or group when you are
dealing with an individual, perhaps when correcting.

 signal
To s__________ stop
to a pair or group to start, to s_________ or to h________
hurry
up.

 To indicate, with an accompanying g___________, that groups are on the

right or wrong lines.

 To indicate that something is i___________, or to show that the student

should try a___________ (such as a shake of the head).

 present/paying attention
To check that everyone is p__________.

 success
To check s_____________ with students whether they have finished an
activity
a___________________.

Adapted from Teaching practice handbook p. 9-10. Roger Gower, Diane Phillip, Steve Walters.

ELT 1- Worksheet 6
Giving instructions

How can you make your instructions effective?

Match the pieces of advice with the extra information below.

1. First, attract the students’ attention

2. Use simple language and expressions
3. Be consistent
4. Use visual or written clues
5. Demonstrate
6. Break the instructions down
7. Be decisive

a) Support instructions with real objects, pictures, gestures and

mime. 4. use visual or written clues
b) If the activity requires a series of steps, each requiring
instructions, give simple instructions in segments and check
understanding as you go along. 6. break the instruction down
c) Make sure everybody is listening and watching. Don’t give any
handouts. 1. first, attract the students attention
d) Use the same set of words for the same instructions. With
beginners, spend time teaching them the language they need
to follow instruction. 3. be consisten
e) Use language at a lower level than the language being
“taught”. 2. Use simple language and expressions
f) Show them what to do –give them an example. 5. Demonstrate
g) Use a signal, like the words Right or Listen, which students will
learn to recognise as a cue for an instruction. Make sure the
students know when to begin an activity. 7. be decisive

Taken from Teaching Practice Handbook. P. 40-41. Roger Gower, Diane Phillips, Steve Walters.
ELT 1- Worksheet 6
Discipline problems
Read through the descriptions of episodes and think about or discuss the
following questions:
- What caused the problem?
- What could the teacher have done to prevent it?
- Once it had arisen, what would you advise the teacher to do?
Episode 1
The teacher of a mixed-level class of 13 year-olds is working through a class reader in
an English lesson. He asks Terry to read out a passage. ‘Do we have to do this book?’
says Terry. ‘It’s boring.’ Some members of the class smile, one says ‘I like it’, others
are silent awaiting the teacher’s reaction.
(Wragg, 1981, p.12)

Episode 2
The teacher is explaining a story. Many of the students are inattentive, and there is a
murmur of quiet talk between them. The teacher ignores the noise and speaks to those
who are listening. Finally, she reprimands, in a gentle and sympathetic way, one student
who is talking particularly noticeably. The student stops talking for a minute or two, and
then carries on. This happens once or twice more, with different students. The teacher
does not get angry, and continues to explain, trying (with only partial success) to draw
students’ attention through occasional questions.
(Adapted from Sarah Reinhord-Lurie, unpublished research project on classroom
discipline, Oranim School of Education, Haifa, 1992.)

Episode 3
The teacher has prepared a worksheet and is explaining how to do it. His explanation
has carried on so long that John, having lost interest, begins to tap a ruler on his desk.
At first the tapping is occasional and not too noticeable, but John begins to tap more
frequently and more noisily, building up to a final climax when he hits the table with a
very loud bang. The class, startled by the noise, falls silent and looks at both John and
the teacher to see what will happen.
(Adapted from Wragg, 1981, p.18.)

Episode 4
The teacher begins by giving out classroom books and collecting homework books.
Teacher (to one of the boys): This book’s vert thin.
Boy 1: Yeah, ‘this, isn’t it?
Boy 2: He’s been using it for toilet paper, Sir.
(Uproar)
(Adapted from Wragg & Wood, 1981, p.32)

Episode 5
The students have been asked to interview each other for homework and write reports.
In this lesson they are asked to read aloud their reports. A few students refuse to do so.
The teacher tells these students to stand up before the class and be interviewed by them.
They stand up, but do not take the questions seriously. They answer with jokes, or in
their L1, or not at all. The teacher eventually sends them back to their places and goes
on to the next planned activity, a textbook exercise.
(Adapted from Sarah Reinhord-Lurie, unpublished research project on classroom
discipline, Oranim School of Education, Haifa, 1992.)

Taken from A Course in English Language Teaching. Penny Ur. Cambridge University Press, 2012
ELT 1- Worksheet 7