More Student Talk, Less Teacher Talk: How to Get There

Students and teachers of English as a Second Language were surveyed concerning their perceptions of the relative amounts of teacher talk time and student talk time in their classrooms, as well as beliefs, values, and attitudes regarding proportions of teacher and student talk time. The teachers were then asked about their experiences with and attitudes toward specific techniques, presented in four categories: techniques to increase student talk, reduce teacher talk, foster an atmosphere that encourages student talk, and measure teacher talk in ESL classrooms. Teachers expressed interest in trying new techniques to improve the talk time balance.