Teacher Talk -2

Dr.K.N. Anandan

Q2: What are the features of teacher talk?

Teacher talk includes the questions that teacher poses in the classroom, the discussion that is initiated on specific social issues / theme and also the instructions she gives to the learners at various points. The teacher should clearly know the objectives of each instance of interaction. She should also take care of the level of learners while interacting with the learners. For instance, in classes 1 and 2 she may have to make use of code-switching. In higher classes she may be using slightly complex structures too.
The general features of teacher talk are:
• The language is error free with well-formed constructions
• It is comprehensible to all learners
• It is audible to the whole class
• It is dynamic, positive, pleasant and learner friendly
• It is free from expressions finding fault with the learners
• The speed of articulation is to be reduced
• The articulatory features (such as pause, stress, tone, and tempo) are maintained
• It is not one-sided talk from the part of the teacher but a dialogue between the teacher and the learners
• It contains various discourse markers (such as well, precisely, as a matter of fact, etc.) wherever these elements are apt contextually
• It contains linguistic elements such as tags, short responses, etc
• It addresses higher order thinking skills