Encouraging student talk as a 21st century competency

Abstract

This paper focuses on how teachers can increase student participation and encourage more substantive student talk. It argues that, together with other competencies deemed vital in the 21st century landscape, effective oral communication is in need of attention at all levels of education, including the tertiary. The paper draws its data from a research project investigating the discourse in pre-university classrooms, looking specifically at the ways in which teachers can promote a higher quality of student talk and level of cognitive engagement. The paper highlights some pertinent preliminary findings and makes some recommendations for educators to be more cognisant of the dynamics of classroom talk as a way not only to encourage students to participate more actively but to produce a more dialogic and interactive environment. This would go some way towards developing more articulate, confident, engaged and fundamentally more effective communicators and active citizens among our students.