Scribd
Upload
57 views1 page

Effective Teacher Talk Strategies

The article examines the characteristics of "teacher-talk", a style of speech that promotes comprehension between native and non-native English speakers. It discusses features like using non-linguistic support, regular checks and pauses, familiar vocabulary and topics. These features exploit body language, pictures and diagrams to aid understanding. The text also highlights maintaining eye contact, giving clear instructions, commanding silence without shouting, and caring for one's voice. "Teacher-talk" provides essential strategies for effective communication between teachers and students with different language abilities.

Uploaded by

Laura Enev
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
57 views1 page

Effective Teacher Talk Strategies

The article examines the characteristics of "teacher-talk", a style of speech that promotes comprehension between native and non-native English speakers. It discusses features like using non-linguistic support, regular checks and pauses, familiar vocabulary and topics. These features exploit body language, pictures and diagrams to aid understanding. The text also highlights maintaining eye contact, giving clear instructions, commanding silence without shouting, and caring for one's voice. "Teacher-talk" provides essential strategies for effective communication between teachers and students with different language abilities.

Uploaded by

Laura Enev
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Monday Oct.

8, 2018

Laura Yovkova Enev, Group 3A


1st Reading Summary, Introduction to ELT Methodology
Faculty of Education, University of Barcelona

In the article, Teacher Talk: the secret of comprehensible speech for non-native
speakers in English (Longman 2006), the author examines the characteristics of
‘teacher-talk’, a special style of speech that promotes successful communication and
comprehension between native and non-native speakers. Throughout the text, the author
provides us with some useful tricks, tips and secrets on how to manage a suitable
speech, regardless of whether the audience being addressed to by the speaker is made up
of one or one thousand individuals.

Moreover, the author also introduces us to many of the different features of ‘teacher-
talk’, such as: the importance of non-linguistic support for comprehension, regular
checks and pauses, key vocabulary, familiar words, topics and routines, immediate
repetitions and/or paraphrases, slower and clearer talk, exaggerated intonation and
stress, clarity of discourse markers, etc. The features listed above, adopted by teachers,
exploit mime, body language reference to real objects, pictures, maps and diagrams, and
help to improve students’ comprehension, despite their limited knowledge of the
language of instruction.

Furthermore, the text highlights the importance of utilising the face, eyes and stance to
maintain attention and communicate more effectively. Likewise, it is crucial to make
constant eye contact and not cover one’s mouth while speaking. Another useful tip
explicitly covered in this article includes giving simple instructions. Teachers will often
ask students to repeat or summarise instructions before starting the lesson.

Moreover, another effective tip remarked in the article includes how to instil silence in
order to get the the classroom’s attention by reasserting the teacher’s authority thus
overcoming the need to shout or bang on a desk. Last but not least, the author mentions
the necessity of taking care of one’s voice, avoiding the need to shout as this can not
only add strain but also damage this valuable piece of technology. Additionally,
shouting also suggest the lost of control of the classroom. Therefore, we must not raise
the pitch of our voices but rather exaggerate intonation and remember to avoid
monotony during speech.

To conclude, ‘teacher-talk’ provides us with all the essential strategies and techniques
required for useful communication between native and non-native speakers. All the
aforementioned tips will help students and teachers to become effective speakers in
their L1 as well as in English, in order to become successful public speakers ready for
preparing presentations or even for training purposes.

You might also like