Group Talk

Developing spontaneous target language interaction

¿Cuántos años tienen? / Quel âge ont-ils? /

Wie alt sind sie?

1925

46

The language of conjecture

Give students authentic opportunities to

verbalise the processes of

• Thinking• Supposing• Estimating• Not knowing!

4

5

1

7

2 3

6

Ich denke, Nummer (1) ist .......

Deutschland Frankreich

Italien

die Schweiz

Schottland

WalesIrland Spanien

England

Was denkst du?

Österreich

8

Group Talk project principles

• Only the target language is spoken by students to students

• Interaction happens between a small group of students

• Tasks demand opinion, conjecture and debate

• Language is often colloquial• Responses are spontaneous• There is no set finishing line• You are yourself!

Was?!

Halt die Klappe!

Das stimmt nicht.

Ja, echt?! Du spinnst!

Das stimmt.

Weiß nicht.

Das denk' ich auch.

Egal!

That's right.

That's not right.

Yeh, really?

What?! You're crazy!

Shut up!Dunno

I think that as well.

Whatever!

Group Talk launch phrasesAlso, ich denke Was denkst

du?

Was?!

Halt die Klappe!

Was denkst du?

Das stimmt nicht.

Also, ich denkeJa, echt?!

Du spinnst!

Das stimmt.

Weiß nicht.

Das denk' ich auch.

Egal!

1 Introducing an opinion2 Agreeing3 Disagreeing4 Surprise5 Uncertainty6 Rejection7 Disinterest

Choice of discussion stimulus

First time Group Talkers

The impact on learning

• Pupils (boys and girls!) of all abilities and ages are motivated to speak

• Pupils talk more confidently and spontaneously

• Speaking and Listening skills are developed in unison

Ofsted 2011: ‘The skill of listening in order to respondorally appeared very much in decline.’

• Questioning skills are improved• Improvement in GCSE Controlled

Speaking Assessments• Ofsted-Outstanding! Pupils ‘can use language

creatively and spontaneously to express what they want to say, including when talking to each other informally …’