The Effect of Teacher and Student Talk Time
Speaking of the students in class has always been an issue for the teachers and the institutes. We often question how we teach and remodel our teaching methods so we can make it possible for the students to talk more, while sometimes it has happened that even the teacher loses track of time, thus leading to an only teacher talk class style. After spending many times recycling the idea of why I, as a teacher, should talk or even how much and when to talk strikes me every time I make a lesson plan for my class. But first, let us consider the reasons why it is important to let the students talk more rather than just be listeners.
Table of Contents
Are you ready to teach English as a foreign language?
Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials!
If you talk, you learn
The very first moment we start our approaches and tach, it must be clear and pointed out that only if they use what they are being taught, they can truly master it in the real world. It is always good to be a resourceful and confident teacher, but our carrier's main point is to help the learner become professional with what they are trying to acquire.
Don't overcorrect them.
The level of the students is one thing that matters the most when you are preparing a lesson plan. Even in a class, there are different levels of students. My advice is to lower the correction amount for those who are just beginners in speaking and lose confidence quite easily if we just overcorrect them and prevent them from expressing their ideas. Correction must always be done in a way that does not hurt the speaker's enthusiasm for speaking, which reoccurring of this may lead to a discouraged student who does not wish to communicate with other classmates.
Let them explore it
Going by the standards is always good, but when we come across our learners, the standards which we try to put them in begin to diminish. This happens due to the vast mind of the learners that are open to anything new while they just have tons of questions that need to be answered. As a result, following the same procedure may not be practical, and in these so-called standards, the time that is assigned for students to speak seems high, but actually, it is lesser than what you think.
It may seem a bit odd when you think about the above fact, but when you come into a class which is ten people, at first you think when you ask questions, everyone is speaking by your standards, but if you do the math, you will understand that for about a minute of students speaking you have spoken too which makes their speaking much lesser than you think it is.
Considering the facts above, a reasonable question arises, which is when is the time for the teacher to talk. If you are following an ESA process, you surely know that you can have more time for your speaking in an engaging phase where you are elaborating the task for the students. Although you may not follow this procedure which is totally fine, you should always have it in mind that we talk and instruct our students to help them become the master of the language after the teaching is done, so having this mind, you should speak whenever you are bringing light to the mind of the learner. For example, your intervention in their practice time or peer correction time will inevitably lead to a discouraged learner who has lost his/her thoughts on the task that has been given to them.
One other fact that you might take into consideration is the type of student who you are instructing. Many times, it has happened that shy students need some push to start talking, and they will need your constant support along the way due to their sensible spirit regarding error making. On the other hand, the students who are completely confident with their errors or mistakes can be left to speak for themselves and just support with the vocabulary or grammar points they require to speak with.
Mistakes or errors?
One final point that you need to mind is that an error needs your help rather than a mistake. The distinction between the two comes from the fact that an error is an absence of knowledge about the subject, while a mistake is a misuse of grammar or structure. Being able to distinguish the difference between the two helps you manage your speaking time.
To sum it up, it is crucial to let the students speak and let their inner thought out as much as possible so that they feel safe making errors or mistakes in class, leading to a confident speaker. As mentioned above, you should use your speaking time wisely and only enlighten the learners' minds.
Are you ready to teach English as a foreign language?
Apply now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Speak with an ITTT advisor today to put together your personal plan for teaching English abroad!
Send us an email or call us toll-free at 1-800-490-0531 to speak with an ITTT advisor today.
Related Articles:
- Top 10 Cities in Europe with the Highest Demand for English Language Teachers
- 5 Reasons To Take A TEFL Course Right Now - Even If You Are Not Leaving Yet | ITTT | TEFL Blog
- All the Documents You Will Need to Teach English Abroad
- The Impact of Positive Motivation on an ESL Classroom
- You're Never Too Old to Change Your Life and Do a TEFL Course | ITTT | TEFL Blog
- Getting Student Placement Right - The Best Desk Arrangements for EFL Students
