Unit 2 Teacher TalkKey aspects:

1) Non-Verbal Encouragement

2) Body Language

3) Verbal Encouragement

4) Verbal Reprimands

5) Voice maintenance

6) Teacher Talking Time (TTT)

Introduction

One of the most important requirements for optimal language learning is to provide the appropriate environment for learners to develop language skills. Such environment must include appropriate (and necessary) language input for learners. Teacher talk in the classroom constitutes one major source of this input. There is, however, an ongoing debate on how much of this talk is necessary and on whether students be given enough room for reflection on and use of language. By the end of this lesson you will not only be familiar with the issues but you will also have acquired new phrases that you can use in your classroom.

The objectives

By the end of the lesson, you should:

1) understand how to use language to promote more effective learning.

2) be able to use teacher talk in the classroom to promote effective learning

3) have learnt useful phrases to use in the classroom

4) be able to use natural rhythm and intonation in conversation

5) develop awareness of the register of different grammatical structures in order to use them appropriately

6) enrich your vocabulary by focusing on idioms, synonyms, and collocations

7) practice in more extended speaking, e.g. role-plays and debates.

Non-Verbal Encouragement

The spark

1. Look at the pictures. Describe what you can see and discuss what kind of lessons they seem to be.

From:

http://www.pfarrei-weisenau.de/userfiles/image/Mann%20trifft%20sich.jpg

http://svitppt.com.ua/images/49/48079/960/img25.jpg

http://files.web2edu.ru/226e6774-fe30-47a0-bf45-79984a7e0a5f/ae34be08-473c-43fa-b833-f3528ac03b8b.jpg

http://mail.gematanzen.com/uploads/posts/2013-01/1359536080_820.jpg

2. What do you think creates a successful lesson? Look at the list below and number the various factors in order of importance (1 = most important, 6 = least important). Then discuss your answers with a partner.

- Good lesson planning

- The teacher’s knowledge of the subject

- The relationship between the teacher and the student

- The student’s interest in the subject

- The appropriate teaching method

- Other (specify)

Reading

1) Look at the headlines below. What do they suggest the article is about?

2) Read the article. Is it important to praise pupils? Why/Why not?

3) Complete the short summary of the article adding one word to each gap.

Researchers initially … how often teachers touched their pupils. They then … some of the teachers to touch their pupils … when they praised them. They found that in the classes in which teachers touched … they praised, the pupils’ … increased dramatically and disruption in the class … .

4) Why, according to the article, does patting have such an effect?

5) Look at the list below of words and expressions from or based on the article. Put a tick next to those which you might use to talk about a lesson you enjoyed, and a cross next to those you might use to refer to a lesson you found difficult. Then compare your answers with a partner.

concentrate pencil-grabbing

disruption bad behaviour

water-throwing hard-working

praise Well done!

Can you think of three phrases you would use to praise your pupils, apart from Well done?

Speaking

Talk about one or two of the points below with a partner or partners.

1) What do you think about the results of this experiment?

2) Do you think patting would have the same effect with secondary age or adult students?

3) Do/ Would you pat your students? Why/Why not?

Body Language

1 . What is body language?

2. Are there any gestures you typically use in class?

3. How can you show a person that you understand him or her? How can you indicate that you are following what is being said - or not following it?

From: https://twitter.com/cbechervaise/status/462961669128216577

Reading

1. Reading for gist. Look back at your list of gestures in question 2 and skim the text below. How many of your gestures are mentioned?

Nonverbal Tricks for Teachers

1. Showing Your Hands:

Our hands are our trust indicators. This means that when other people can’t see our hands, they have trouble trusting us. Whenever you are teaching–in front of a classroom or on camera you always want to have your hands visible. Keep them out of your pockets, don’t put them behind your back or under a desk and on camera be sure to get your whole body in the shot.

2. Power Posing:

Researchers at Harvard Business School found that the more expansive you are–roll your shoulders back, firmly plant your feet, open your chest and keep your head up the more confident you feel and the more confident others perceive you. This is called power posing–taking up space with your body. When teaching keep your arms loose, roll your shoulders back and keep your head up. This will help you claim the room and own your material.

• Another interesting study at Harvard Business School had candidates do mock-interviews. The researchers had participants power pose before they walked into the room. Those who power posed were rated as more confident, intelligent and skilled. Most importantly, those candidates FELT MORE POWERFUL! 

3. Nonverbal Hooks:

• Typically there is very low retention rates on verbal material. You need to hook the brain into remembering your content with nonverbal and verbal explanations. Try to think of ways you can explain your concepts using your hands, your voice or your body. Check out the video above for some examples!

4. Expressiveness:

• Professor Stephen Ceci tested how much body language helped his student evaluations in a clever study. He scripted one of his classes so the verbal content was exactly the same. In one class he used his typical body language, in the other he used a few nonverbal tricks including nonverbal expressiveness. This means he varied his voice tone, used a wide variety of facial gestures to emphasize his points and moved his hands while teaching. In the expressive nonverbal class, he got higher ratings from students in every single area–including textbook quality! This shows us that being expressive nonverbally captivates our students and helps them remember us and the material more favorably.

5. The learning doesn’t stop here…

From: http://www.scienceofpeople.com/2014/05/5-body-language-tips-teachers/

Listening

1. Watch the video «How to show understanding» and then give examples of body language

Why is it important for teachers to know how to use body language?

2. Watch the following videos, what idioms are proposed here? (videos: hair, arm, head)

From:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7eLh5dEfh0&list=PLFB0DCA376C15EA3C&index=6

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvWZMtbEdfk&index=2&list=PLFB0DCA376C15EA3C

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2nT_HqWCUk&index=5&list=PLFB0DCA376C15EA3C

Idioms

1. Match each idiom on the left with an appropriate explanation on the right. What other useful phrases or idioms do you know with the words “hair, arm, head”?

1. to let one’s hair down	b) to keep calm
2. to keep one’s hair on	a) to act freely and naturally
3. to tear one’s hair out	g) very angry
4. to bang one’s hair against a brick wall	d) to accomplish some task or achieve some goal that is or seems ultimately hopeless
5. to have one’s head in the clouds	h) used to convey a strong desire to have or do something
6. to have an old head on young shoulders	i) to force
7. up in arms	c) to be very anxious about something
8. to give one’s right arm to do something	e) to be unaware of what is going on from fantasies or daydreams
9. to twist one’s arm	f) a child or young person who thinks and talks like an older person who has more experience of life

2. Look through the explanations of the idioms and fill in the gaps in the sentences with an appropriate idiom.

1. Kings and queens can seldom ____________________.

2. If you want someone who’s angry to calm down, you can say ____________________.

3. I've been ____________________ trying to get the job finished on time.

4. Some people are never going to agree with you on this, so it's no use ____________________ trying to convince everyone.

5. She walks around all day with her____________________. She must be in love.

6. My little nephew said people who dislike other people don't like themselves very much. That's ____________________.

7. The population was ____________________ over the demolition of the old theatre.

8. I'd give my ____________________ to have an apartment on Central Park.

9. I had __________ Tom’s __________ to make him eat the candy.

Reflections

Evaluation of body language

Record a lesson and then choose a part of the lesson to evaluate and complete the following boxes.

Describe a part of the lesson here:	Description of what the sequence was trying to communicate to the audience:	How well did the teacher use appropriate body language at this moment? Give details.	Comment on any further refinements that could have improved the moment? Give details.