Class Talk

On average, teachers talk for two-thirds of class time in a monologue style quite different to that which most children experience at home. This book helps teachers to understand their students' difficulties in stepping out of 'home talk' into 'class talk'.

Class Talk:

looks at teacher-student communication and reflects on what is happening in the classroom
looks at how students talk in different classroom situations and evaluates this information in terms of planning children's learning
considers the problems of transmitting meaning to others
discusses and reflects on practical strategies to improve the quality of talking, teaching and learning
|ooks at how a teacher's most important tool 'the voice' is used, along with facial expression and gesture, to make the greatest impact on students
considers the development of talk within a society that has moved away from mechanical and manufacturing industry towards jobs in service industries, which entail, on average, 80% speaking and listening and only 20% reading and writing.