Dialogic Talk

Activity

Have a look at these video clips from School A where the teacher and pupils are engaged in dialogic talk and note down some of the differences between this type of talk and the examples you viewed for IRF. Note the seating arrangements for the class.

flv file School A, Year 7 - Dialogic talk (01:14)

You can watch the video via 56k modem or slow (100kbps) / medium (256 kbps) / fast (400kbps) / very fast (800kbps) broadband connections, or as a Flash video for which you will need to have the flash plugin.

Transcript (22 KB)

flv file School A, Year 10 - Dialogic talk (00:43)

Transcript (21 KB)
Now look at the video clip from School C which shows dialogic discussion taking place in a Year 11 class, but in a small group.

flv file School C, Year 11 - Dialogic talk (01:02)

Transcript (21 KB)
The discussion is led by the central group and demonstrates how dialogic talk can take place equally well in a small group as whole class, and it could be an arrangement that you might like to start with.

Look at the Features of dialogic talk which identifies five principles which bring together the essential features of dialogic teaching, and then look at the same video clips again and identify some of those features.

doc file Features of dialogic talk (20 KB)
The benefits

Have a look at the video clip of the English Department meeting at School A where they are reviewing dialogic teaching and talk which the school introduced twelve months' earlier.

flv file School A, Staff meeting (00:39)

Transcript (21 KB)

Extended pupil thinking and pupil talk

Dialogic teaching and talk can give pupils the opportunity to extend their talk and their thinking, so that talk becomes, as Robin Alexander (2003) says, a 'purposeful and productive dialogue where questions, answers, feedback (and feedforward) progressively build into coherent and expanding chains of enquiry and understanding'. The Socratic discussion employed at School C is organised so that the pupils in the outer group observe and evaluate the contributions of those holding the discussion in the central group. They feedback their observations at the end of the discussiondisussion, thus helping to improve their understanding of talk and discussion and that of those in the central group. In both there are clear links with assessment for learning.

Opportunity to assess speaking and listening

Just as has dialogic talk can afford opportunities for effective peer assessment, it can also provide valuable time and space for the teacher to reflect on, assess and record pupils' speaking and listening skills.