Learning in Dialogue: An Exploration of Talk in an English Classroom

ABSTRACT

This essay explores the role of talk within the English classroom. Classroom talk (in its various forms) is not simply a method for sharing fixed systems of knowledge or information; it is the most useful mechanism for giving learners the space to develop new meanings and new ways of thinking about their surroundings. As soon as learners are offered the space to make meaning through talk – in productive dialogue with those around – they are provided, not only with an opportunity to explore their ideas, but also with a chance to actively represent and reflect on their place within the wider world. For this essay, I draw on my experiences of teaching a small class of 14- and 15-year-olds and their work on An Inspector Calls.