Teacher Training

Remote Teaching Centre – British Council Argentina

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• To self-assess and become
more aware of our own TTT

• To learn strategies to reduce

TTT and maximising STT

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a) Repeating instructions

b) Saying much more than students when receiving a contribution

c) Asking lengthy questions

d) Echoing what students have just said in answer to a question

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a) Repeating instructions

‘Read out the cards, don’t show each other and then, if they go together,
sit down. So these cards belong together, so this person needs to find this
person and they need to sit down together.... I’d like you to read it to your
classmates. Remember: no showing, and when you think you’ve found
your new partner, sit down together, OK?’

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 b) Saying much more than students when receiving a contribution:

Student: (quietly) ‘Ten years ago.’

Teacher: 'Would you like to tell everyone the answer you

were thinking of again because I don’t think they heard it
when you spoke so quietly and I’m sure we’d all be interested
in hearing it if you could, please?'

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 c) Asking lengthy questions:

'If I were to ask you for your favourite fruit and

vegetables, what do you think you might say to me in
reply to that?'

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 d) Echoing what students have just said in answer
to a question:

Student: (giving his/her opinion) 'I like going to the

beach, because it is fun.‘
Teacher: 'OK, so you like going to the beach, because
it is fun. Right, good.'

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 Think of three reasons to reduce TTT

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 Darn suggests some reasons:

• Excessive TTT limits STT

• A large amount of TTT results in long periods of time of teacher-class interaction and a
monotonous pace

• TTT often means that the teacher is giving the students information that they could
be finding out for themselves (grammar rules, meanings of vocabulary items,
corrections)

• If the teacher takes the dominant role in classroom in terms of initiating the topic, allocating
turns and checking answers or giving feedback, the student’s role is only that of respondent.

• If the teacher is constantly dominant and controlling, the learners take no

responsibility for their own learning.
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 Darn (2008) suggests that the overuse
of TTT is often the product of
_______________________
in the classroom.

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 Darn (2008) suggests that the overuse
of TTT is often the product of
the underuse of communicative
techniques
in the classroom.

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 Read the list of Do’s. Match them with the corresponding Don’ts in the left
column.

DON’T DO
Example: Give long explanations Don’t explain, show.

a) Talk exclusively about yourself

b) Answer your own questions
c) Repeat what students say
d) Give students too little time (to talk)
e) Paraphrase instructions more than necessary
f) Give excessive information

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 Read the list of Do’s. Match them with the corresponding Don’ts in the left
column.
DON’T DO
Example: Give long explanations Don’t explain, show.

a) Talk exclusively about yourself 1. Give students a chance to talk

b) Answer your own questions about themselves
c) Repeat what students say 2. Give students thinking time
d) Give students too little time (to talk) 3. Encourage students to listen to
e) Paraphrase instructions more than each other
necessary 4. Give students preparation time
f) Give excessive information 5. Demo and check instruction
6. Use a more inductive
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 There was a full moon. There were pumpkins.
There weren’t any pumpkins. There wasn’t a full moon.
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 According to Harmer (2001), more
often than not, teachers have students
who ____________________,
which leads to the teacher doing most
of the talking.

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 According to Harmer (2001), more often
than not, teachers have students who
do not seem to want to talk in class,
which leads to the teacher doing most of
the talking.

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 Read Harmer’s suggestions and write the strategy to
maximise STT in the blank space. Use the options in the box.

‘acting out’ – pair work – speak in a controlled way – use a

recording app – role-play

Example: This will help to provoke quiet students into talking.

When they are with one or more student, they are not under
so much pressure as if asked to speak in front of the whole
class: ___________.
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In general, it may be a good idea to let students write down what they are going to say before
they say it. Once students have read their sentences, other students (or the teacher) can ask
them questions: ___________.

One way of encouraging speaking is using ___________. Of course, the teacher must work with
the students like a drama coach practising intonation, emphasis and conveying emotions.

Many teachers have found that students speak more freely when they are involved in
__________ since they don’t have to be themselves. The use of role cards allow students to
take a new identity.

Tell students to _____________ so they can record what they would like to say outside the
lesson. The teacher can then listen to their productions and point out possible errors. The
student now has a chance to produce a more correct version when the lesson comes around.

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In general, it may be a good idea to let students write down what they are going to say before
they say it. Once students have read their sentences, other students (or the teacher) can ask
them questions: speak in a controlled way.

One way of encouraging speaking is using acting out. Of course, the teacher must work with the
students like a drama coach practising intonation, emphasis and conveying emotions.

Many teachers have found that students speak more freely when they are involved in role-play
since they don’t have to be themselves. The use of role cards allow students to take a new
identity.

Tell students to use a recording app so they can record what they would like to say outside the
lesson. The teacher can then listen to their productions and point out possible errors. The
student now has a chance to produce a more correct version when the lesson comes around.

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 S S S S S
S S S S S
S S S S S

S S S S S
S S S S S

T
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 S S S S S S S S S S S S
S S
S S S S S
S S
S S S S S S S
S S
S S S S S S S
S S S S S S S

T T
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 S S S S S S S S S S S S
S S
S S S S S
S S
S S S S S S S
S S
S S S S S S S
S S S S S S S

T T
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 S S S S S S S S S S S S
S S
S S S S S
S S
S S S S S S S
S S
S S S S S
S S
S S S S S S S

T T
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 T-SS
T-S
S-S
S-S-S
S S S
S S S
S S S
S S S S
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 T-SS T to class
T-S T to student
S-S Pairs
S-S-S Groups
S S S Sts nominating
S S S Mingle
S S S
S S S S
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Three ideas
I’m going to
put
into practice…

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 ☺
María Alejandra de Antoni – Academic Manager
Remote Teaching Centre – British Council Argentina

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