2.1 Talk in the classroom
Talking and listening are important elements of education. Through these, children develop a sense of their place within the social world, gaining confidence and valuing their own ideas. Children develop language and communication skills before formal education in the home, but schools play an important role in fostering children’s talking and listening skills. Through listening, individuals can begin to understand others’ perspectives. Through talking they may share their ideas and feelings. Of course, communication also occurs without talking and listening and a wide range of non-verbal forms exist, such as sign language, touch, gesture, movement, gaze, facial expressions facilitated by visual or electronic aids.
Developing oracy skills has a positive impact on children and underpins learning in all areas. Oracy can support literacy skills and wider achievement at school and beyond. It may also contribute to social relationships and wellbeing. It has the potential to empower children as citizens who are better prepared for participation in society and support social mobility therefore enhancing life chances (Oracy APPG, 2021).
Talk between teachers and learners is a crucial part of classroom life. For those children who speak English as an additional language and are not confident in using English, encouraging spoken interactions is a way to develop their confidence and capabilities. Skilled practitioners who value and support children’s home languages encourage children through different activities to allow them to learn language and learn through language.
Some schools have access to staff who are bilingual. Their support for oral language extends beyond translation. They support home language development, English skills and conceptual understanding. They can supplement classroom talk with explanations (vocabulary or concepts) in the home language.
Staff can use the first language to give instructions or check children’s understanding – this is especially important when content is conceptually demanding, and cognitive load high.
Activity 4
In this video, you’ll watch Zamurd, a classroom volunteer, working with a group of children who do not speak English as their first language. Watch the video and think about how Zamurd supports the children’s learning through dialogue and interactions. Read through the list below, watch the video again and in the right-hand column add a cross if you noticed the behaviour in the left-hand column happening to support the children’s learning.
Transcript: Video 2 Bilingual support
ZAMURD BUTT: For long, the delicious smell of gingerbread filled the kitchen. But as soon as the man and the woman opened the oven door, the Gingerbread Man jumped out and ran away.
[SPEAKING HINDI]
STUDENT: Gingerbread.
ZAMURD BUTT: Gingerbread Man [SPEAKING HINDI]. [GASPS] [SPEAKING HINDI]
STUDENT: Stop. Stop.
ZAMURD BUTT: Stop! Stop! [SPEAKING HINDI] Stop!
I work as a teaching assistant. I started as a volunteer. But I liked so much working with the children that I decided to stay on. And I’m still here. I work as a lunchtime supervisor and with my team members. And every day, if the weather is good, I’ll take the children out onto the field.
[SPEAKING HINDI] run.
ALL: Run as fast as you can.
ZAMURD BUTT: I can speak English, Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati, and African language as well, Swahili, because I was born in Kenya.
[SPEAKING HINDI]
STUDENT: Stop.
ZAMURD BUTT: Stop! Stop, shouted the girl. We love ginger--
Sometimes when I ask a child a question and he doesn’t say anything, that means he’s not understanding what I’m saying. And if I decide to talk in Urdu or Punjabi and then I ask them a question, they are able to answer it because they understand what’s happening in the story.
ALL: You can’t catch me. I’m the Gingerbread Man. Yes.
| Questions to the children in home language | |
| Repetition of child’s responses | |
| Offers of encouragement | |
| Eye contact | |
| Reading from the book in English | |
| Translations into home language | |
| Checking understanding of story details in home language |
Comment
Zamurd’s bilingual interactions with the children in her group can be seen to support the children’s literacy skills including their spoken English language development (with vocabulary and grammar), their confidence in speaking, answering questions and reading, their enjoyment of stories. In schools where bilingual support is not possible, staff may learn some simple words and phrases in children’s home language, and draw on digital translation and resources, other bilingual children and volunteers. The key is to value children’s home language and culture and help them to build on this as a foundation for English learning.