Using Guided Talk in the Classroom
HIAS EAL Team
The structure and organisation of guided talk sessions for additional language acquisition
The purpose of a guided talk session is to support children, particularly those with EAL, to move beyond their linguistic comfort zone through the intervention of a trained adult. Giving children the opportunity to rehearse specific language forms, which have been modelled by a proficient speaker in appropriate contexts, will support language and literacy development.
Benefits include:
· Children have opportunities to clarify what has been said.
· Teachers can assess understanding by the child’s response.
· Oral language is more repetitive than written language so children can hear the same idea expressed in different ways.
· Guided talk is linked to practical activities, giving a context providing immediate meaning.
· It deepens children’s understanding of a particular written genre or curriculum-based topic through helping them learn the vocabulary and grammatical structures associated with that particular topic.
Guided sessions are intended to be delivered to a maximum of six children in ability groups based on assessment of Speaking and Listening. The sessions should last up to twenty-minutes and could be delivered by a teacher or a trained teaching assistant. Guided talk can be used with all year groups.
They can be delivered as part of the literacy hour or the daily mathematics lesson and should have relevance for the group.
Links should be made to:
· whole class teaching;
· the QCA Speaking and Listening objectives;
· literacy objectives, especially non-fiction writing, and the interventions;
· mathematics objectives for problem solving and the catch-up interventions, particularly Springboard 5 (the guided sessions in mathematics could focus on the language of problem solving including word problems and 'finding all possibilities');
· programmes of study and schemes of work from across the curriculum (e.g. PNS new Literacy Framework objectives).
Framework for developing guided talk sessions
Resources (e.g. pictures, objects, speaking frames, vocabulary lists):
Remind pupils of rules for group-work / Can anyone tell me a good thing to remember when we are talking together?
Can anyone tell me a good thing to remember when we are listening to other people talking?
Why is it important that we follow these rules?
Introduce task
Share objectives and the context for the work, reactivate prior knowledge and draw out unfamiliar words, e.g. explanation, compare, contrast, instructions etc.
Define success criteria. / Our guided talk helps us to learn new vocabulary and structures that we can use in our writing.
In this session, we are learning to ......
Can anyone explain what we mean by ...... ?
By the end of this session you will be able to ......
Clarify concepts and vocabulary
Teacher ensures that pupils can identify, name, describe or define pictures/objects or concepts – (focus particularly on nouns and adjectives).
Teacher models, then pupils imitate. / Key vocabulary:
Talk to be modelled by teacher:
Open and closed questions:
Embed in context, e.g. Literacy/Mathematics
Teacher introduces key subject-specific vocabulary and grammatical structures appropriate to genre.
Teacher models, then pupils imitate. / Key vocabulary and grammatical structures/phrases:
Talk to be modelled by teacher:
Independent talk
Pupils continue following the teacher’s model using speaking frames or vocabulary lists (e.g. pupils innovate). / Prompts for speaking frame and/or vocabulary to be used by pupils:
Plenary
Pupils assess their learning in relation to objectives, e.g. use of key vocabulary and structures.
Teacher clarifies misconceptions.
Teacher assesses learning to identify next steps. / Questions to help pupils reflect on their learning:
Next steps for group:
FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPING GUIDED TALK SESSIONS: Y1 WORKED EXAMPLE
Resources (e.g. pictures, objects, speaking frames, vocabulary lists): photographs of school trip; simple speaking frame
Remind pupils of rules for group-work / Can anyone tell me a good thing to remember when we are talking together?
Can anyone tell me a good thing to remember when we are listening to other people talking? Why is it important that we follow these rules?
Introduce task
Share objectives and the context for the work, reactivate prior knowledge and draw out unfamiliar words, e.g. explanation, compare, contrast, instructions, etc.
Define success criteria. / Our guided talk helps you learn new words and phrases that you can use in your writing.
In this session, we are learning to give a recount of our school trip.
Can anyone explain what we mean by a “recount”?
What do we need to do when we are giving a recount?
(Elicit: we need to say what has happened in the right order)
By the end of this session you will be able to give a recount of the trip. You will be able to tell me what happened in the right order using some good time words.
Clarify concepts and vocabulary
Teacher ensures that pupils can identify, name, describe or define pictures/objects or concepts – (focus particularly on nouns and adjectives).
Teacher models, then pupils imitate. / Key vocabulary:
· names of animals
· names of animal products e.g. wool, eggs, milk
· past tense verbs: saw, went, learned, had, felt, enjoyed
· connective ‘because’
Open and closed questions:
Here are some pictures from the trip.
Who went on the trip? When did you go? Where did you go?
What animal is this? What did we learn about sheep?
Can anyone remember what we get from sheep? etc.
When did you have lunch? What did you have? How did you feel when you got home? Did you enjoy the trip? Why?
Talk to be modelled by teacher:
Model past-tense verb forms, pupils to repeat:
Class 1 went to … We saw some …. We learned that …. etc.
Embed in context, e.g. Literacy/Mathematics
Teacher introduces key subject-specific vocabulary and grammatical structures appropriate to genre.
Teacher models, pupils prepare to innovate. / Key vocabulary and grammatical structures/phrases:
· introduction answers the questions ‘who?’, ‘what?’, ‘where?’, ‘when?’
· use of time connectives
· personal response expressing feelings
Talk to be modelled by teacher:
Teacher uses a simple speaking frame (see below) to model full flowing recount:
On Friday, class 1 went to the farm.
First we saw some sheep. We learned that sheep give us wool.
Next we saw … Then we saw … At lunchtime, we went to …
When I got home … I really enjoyed the trip because …
I’ve just told you what you told me, but I used some special time words to tell you when things happened. Can anyone tell me any special time words?
Independent talk
Pupils continue following the teacher’s model using speaking frames or vocabulary lists (e.g. pupils innovate). / Prompts for speaking frame and/or vocabulary to be used by pupils:
Sequenced pictures to be used for support.
Speaking frame: On First Next Then At When
Instruction: Tell your partner about the trip just like I did. Use these words to help you but see if you can tell your partner something else about the trip.
Plenary
Pupils assess their learning in relation to objectives, e.g. use of key vocabulary and structures.
Teacher clarifies misconceptions.
Teacher assesses learning to identify next steps. / Questions to help pupils reflect on their learning:
What do we have to remember when we’re giving a recount?
What kind of things do we have to remember to tell other people who have not been on the trip?
What words help us put things in the right order?
Do you think your recount was good? Why?
What could you do to make it better?
Next steps for group:
FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPING GUIDED TALK SESSIONS: Y3 WORKED EXAMPLE
Resources (e.g. pictures, objects, speaking frames, vocabulary lists): a selection of fruits, a knife, a chopping board and a bowl; a couple of recipe cards; speaking frame
Remind pupils of rules for group-work / Can anyone tell me a good thing to remember when we are talking together?
Can anyone tell me a good thing to remember when we are listening to other people talking? Why is it important that we follow these rules?
Introduce task
Share objectives and the context for the work, reactivate prior knowledge and draw out unfamiliar words, e.g. explanation, compare, contrast, instructions etc.
Define success criteria. / Our guided talk helps you learn new words and phrases that we can use in our writing.
In this session, we are learning to give instructions. We’re going to do this by making a fruit salad.
Can anyone explain what we mean by “instructions”?
When we give instructions it makes us sound bossy because we use command verbs. Can anyone give me an example of a bossy instruction?
By the end of this session you will be able to give clear instructions on how to make a fruit salad using command verbs.
Clarify concepts and vocabulary
Teacher ensures that pupils can identify, name, describe or define pictures/objects or concepts – (focus particularly on nouns and adjectives).
Teacher models, then pupils imitate. / Key vocabulary:
· names of fruits
· ingredients
· recipe
Open and closed questions:
Can we name all of these fruits? What’s this one called? etc.
Does anyone know what these are called? (Show a recipe card.)
We are going to make a recipe for a fruit salad.
What is the special name for the list of foods you use when you are following a recipe? Why do we have the ingredients listed at the beginning of the recipe?
What ingredients do we need to make our fruit salad?
Talk to be modelled by teacher:
Remodel pupils’ talk in full sentences:
The ingredients are listed at the beginning of the recipe so that ...
The ingredients we need to make our fruit salad are ...
Embed in context, e.g. Literacy/Mathematics
Teacher introduces key subject-specific vocabulary and grammatical structures appropriate to genre.
Teacher models, pupils prepare to innovate. / Key vocabulary and grammatical structures/phrases:
· imperative verbs: peel, chop, remove, core, cut
· special names for fruit parts: skin, flesh, pip, stone, etc.
Talk to be modelled by teacher:
Let’s make our fruit salad.
This banana has a thick skin. Tell me what to do with the skin.
Tell me what to do with the flesh inside.
Now tell me what to do with this nectarine etc. Be bossy!
Pupils repeat as necessary:
Peel the banana, then chop the flesh.
Cut the nectarine in half, then remove the stone.
Independent talk
Pupils continue following the teacher’s model using speaking frames or vocabulary lists (e.g. pupils innovate). / Prompts for speaking frame and/or vocabulary to be used by pupils:
Provide a speaking frame with the title Recipe for making a fruit salad
Include list of ingredients on sheet
Sheet to be numbered 1-6 to outline the number of instructions required, list of verbs to be included at bottom of sheet: peel, chop, remove, core, cut
Now it’s your job to tell someone else how to make a fruit salad. Use these words to help you.
Plenary
Pupils assess their learning in relation to objectives, e.g. use of key vocabulary and structures.
Teacher clarifies misconceptions.
Teacher assesses learning to identify next steps. / Questions to help pupils reflect on their learning:
What do we need to let people know before we give any instructions for making something?
When we give instructions, what do we have to remember?
Do you think your instructions were good? Why?
What could you do to make them better?
Next steps for group:
FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPING GUIDED TALK SESSIONS: Y5 WORKED EXAMPLE
Teaching objective(s): to give a persuasive talk on why there should be more PE at school using appropriate connectives and persuasive languageResources (e.g. pictures, objects, speaking frames, vocabulary lists): pictures of children in the school doing a variety of PE activities (e.g. reference to school brochure or welcome booklet)
Remind pupils of rules for group-work / Can anyone tell me a good thing to remember when we are talking together?
Can anyone tell me a good thing to remember when we are listening to other people talking? Why is it important that we follow these rules?
Introduce task
Share objectives and the context for the work, reactivate prior knowledge and draw out unfamiliar words, e.g. explanation, compare, contrast, instructions etc.
Define success criteria. / Our guided talk helps you learn new words and phrases that we can use in our writing.
In this session, we are learning to talk persuasively. In other words, we’re going to learn how to persuade others.
Can anyone explain what we mean by “persuade”?
When we write or talk persuasively, we give people lots of reasons to make them change their opinions. What do we mean by “opinion”?
By the end of this session you will be able to persuade someone else that we should do more PE at school.
Clarify concepts and vocabulary
Teacher ensures that pupils can identify, name, describe or define pictures/objects or concepts – (focus particularly on nouns and adjectives).
Teacher models, then pupils imitate. / Key vocabulary:
· nouns and adjectives associated with why PE is good for you: keeps you fit, healthy, exercise, team-work
Open and closed questions:
Do you like doing PE at school? Why?
Why would it be good for you to do more PE at school? (Draw out at least 4 points, supply appropriate vocabulary as required)
Talk to be modelled by teacher:
Remodel pupils’ talk in full sentences:
You like doing PE because it helps you exercise and stay fit.
You like doing PE because you sometimes get to go outside and fresh air is good for you.
It would be good to do more PE at school because ...
Embed in context, e.g. Literacy/Mathematics
Teacher introduces key subject-specific vocabulary and grammatical structures appropriate to genre.
Teacher models, pupils prepare to innovate. / Key vocabulary and grammatical structures/phrases:
· opening statement introduces the argument
· use of connectives: first of all, in addition, furthermore
· language to make argument sound true: surely, probably, certain, certainly, really
· emotive language: adjectives, verbs, adverbs, rhetorical questions
· concluding sentence to revisit main points
Talk to be modelled by teacher:
Teacher uses a speaking frame (see below) to model full flowing persuasive talk:
I have always felt strongly that we should do more PE at school.
First of all, it would ...
In addition, ...
Furthermore, ...
Finally, ...
I’ve just talked to you persuasively about why we should do more PE at school. Can anyone tell me how I organised my talk? Can anyone tell me what made my talk persuasive?
Independent talk
Pupils continue following the teacher’s model using speaking frames or vocabulary lists (e.g. pupils innovate). / Prompts for speaking frame and/or vocabulary to be used by pupils:
Use a speaking frame with the following prompts:
Your opening statement
First of all, ... In addition, ... Furthermore, ... Finally, ...
Your conclusion
Now it’s your job to try to persuade someone else that we should have more PE at school. Use this speaking frame to help you but see if you can make your talk even more persuasive than mine.
Plenary
Pupils assess their learning in relation to objectives, e.g. use of key vocabulary and structures.
Teacher clarifies misconceptions.
Teacher assesses learning to identify next steps. / Questions to help pupils reflect on their learning:
Remind me what it means to talk or write persuasively.
How did the speaking frame help you organise your talk?
How could you change the speaking frame to make your talk a bit different? Would this work as well?
What persuasive language did you use? How do you think this would change people’s opinions?
Next steps for group:
2