UKLA Viewpoints: Talk for learning

  • Talk is a means of thinking through ideas as well as a medium of communication; it is the most important resource for teaching and learning in and beyond the classroom.
  • Spoken language is not only the basis of reading and writing but has a repertoire of its own which deserves equal attention in teaching.
  • Bilingual or multilingual learners benefit from being able to use all their language resources in classroom talk. They also offer a resource for monolingual children to learn more about language and how it works.
  • Interventions to support bi/multilingual learners to build their confidence and competence in English contribute towards all children learning effective ways of communicating.
  • The characteristics of effective classroom talk should be understood and used by teachers in their own talk as well as planned for pupils to acquire and practise.

You can download the full UKLA Viewpoint on talk for learning to the right of this page.

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