How to Reduce Teacher Talk Time
Reducing teacher talk time (TTT) and increasing student talk time (STT) is an important aspect of creating a communicative classroom. Here are some strategies to reduce teacher talk time:
Elicit
- Elicit answers and concepts from students.
- Concept check understanding of new words and structures. Don’t over explain.
Body Language
- Use body language, gestures, props, and the board to explain.
Instructions
- Make instructions simple and concise to avoid explaining them multiple times.
Echoing
- Don’t echo student responses.
Questions
- Ask open-ended questions, not yes/no questions.
- Use “why” and “how” to prompt student explanations.
- Ask follow-up questions.
Participation
- Encourage all students to participate.
- Students should read instructions, examples, exercise questions, and anything else that is possible. The teacher should never read these things.
Study Methods
- Use inductive methods to teach new ideas.
- Students should use self-discovery to find answers and solutions.
Feedback
- Students can give each other feedback rather than the teacher.
Silence
- Provide students with ample thinking time so they can formulate answers and be prepared to speak.
- Tolerate silence and don’t fill it with TTT.
- Be patient when students are answering a question. Don’t rush to fill the silence with TTT.
Lesson Plans
- Prepare your lesson plans thoroughly. A teacher with a good lesson plan is less likely to fill in gaps with talk time.
Student Confidence
- Be positive about mistakes.
- Provide a welcoming class environment where students feel they are able to make mistakes.
- Increase student confidence whenever possible.
Student Level
- Make sure students are in the appropriate level.
- Ask students appropriate questions so they are able to answer.
“Be interested, not interesting”
