Transcript New perspectives on spoken English in the classroom

New perspectives on spoken
English in the classroom
Key concepts
Ken Wilby – English inspector
July 2003
Introduction
Two major insights are emerging about the
place of talk in the English curriculum:
• Learning about talk – the English curriculum does
not focus explicitly enough on teaching the nature
of spoken language
• Talking to learn – the place of talk in the now
familiar NLS writing sequence has been
under-valued
Ken Wilby – English inspector
July 2003
What follows is a series of key concepts
which are currently exercising writers,
researchers, and those who are leading the
Key Stage 3 strategy for English
Ken Wilby – English inspector
July 2003
The speech – writing continuum
It is now understood that the grammars of
speech and writing are very different at their
extremes. All texts, whether spoken or
written can be located somewhere along a
continuum, ie: degrees of formality, context
dependency, purpose etc.
Ken Wilby – English inspector
July 2003
Speech as text
The model of talk in the National Curriculum
is fundamentally a functional one – talking to
Learn. There is a growing interest in the
flipside of this, ie: learning about talk. This
Involves studying spoken texts in their own right. It
could include day-to-day dialogue – how it works,
but it could also include a new canon of literary
spoken texts, eg: I have a dream, the Gettysburg
address
Ken Wilby – English inspector
July 2003
Modelling spoken text types
We are beginning to get to grips with the
notion of scaffolding learning through
modelling writing, eg: writing frames and
shared writing. Can we extend this to
modelling spoken text types – which would in
turn ultimately support writing too?
Ken Wilby – English inspector
July 2003
Oral drafting / rehearsal
- for writing Getting pupils to rehearse their writing either
inside their own heads or aloud through talk.
This is all about developing pupils’ awareness
of the tunes of written grammar. It might be
part of a modelling technique
Ken Wilby – English inspector
July 2003
Metacognition
There is a growing interest in and appreciation
of metacognition – thinking aloud about
thinking – making thoughts available to
others so that you can learn together. Teachers
trying to access and verbalise their own
automaticity as writers
Ken Wilby – English inspector
July 2003
Dialogic talk
Extending or fundamentally changing the
familiar regime of short burst discourse
involving many pupils in favour of targeted
reciprocal talk with selected pupils. This
challenges the hands up culture
Ken Wilby – English inspector
July 2003
Drama techniques
Speaking and listening objectives can be met
in every case through the use of drama
teaching techniques and performance
disciplines (see recent QCA publication)
Ken Wilby – English inspector
July 2003
The speech – writing continuum
Speech as text
Modelling spoken text types
Oral drafting / rehearsal
Metacognition
Dialogic talk
Drama techniques
Ken Wilby – English inspector
July 2003