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REDUCING TEACHER TALK: A STUDENT-CENTERED APPROACH TO TEACHING Salikhova N.I.
Salikhova Nasiba Ibadullaevna - Teacher, DEPARTMENT OF METHODOLOGY OF TEACHING ENGLISH LANGUAGE, ENGLISH LANGUAGES FACULTY 3, UZBEKISTAN STATE WORLD LANGUAGES UNIVERSITY, TASHKENT, REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
Abstract: the best teachers are passionate about sharing the subject matter they teach. However, that enthusiasm may result in an imbalance of teacher talk and student talk in the classroom. Student-centered or learner-centered approaches employ the teacher in multiple roles that focus on student needs, motivations, and collaboration. Keywords: student centered approach, CLT, direct instructions, reciprocal teaching.
"Teaching is much more than a performance by the teacher. Above all, a successful lesson makes the learners - rather than the teacher - the focus of the lesson" [1, 120]. The ways students receive, retain, and use content is the appropriate focus. Teachers are no longer viewed as "a tap pouring water into an empty vessel," or "conductors of orchestras" but instead as "a gardener, supplying materials for growth...and rearranging the environment...for this to happen" [3, 46].
Communicative language teaching (CLT) focuses on developing communicative competence and facilitating the use of meaningful, authentic interaction. In supporting student interaction, the issue of "teacher talk" in the classroom arises. The following paragraphs will explore the concepts of the student-centered approach and the need for reducing teacher talk in the classroom. Finally, some guidelines for classroom implementation will be explored.
The teacher in a student-centered model finds ways to teach new content in engaging ways, makes connections between new and previous content, and gives students the chance to analyze, reflect, apply, and reinforce the concepts. The teacher should model the language as well as support and guide learning. Additionally, the teacher uses comprehensible language, provides examples of how language is used and opportunities to use it, uses questioning techniques to guide, and understands nonverbal communication [3, 145].
The student-centered approach, sometimes referred to as the flipped learning model, includes an emphasis on ongoing informal assessment and feedback, as well as the integration of project-based learning [1, 432-433]. The teacher is an observer and knowledgeable facilitator, continually monitoring and providing feedback rather than directing, while the students engage in collaborative project-based tasks with clear outcomes. Direct instruction can be moved outside the classroom using technology resources such as videos or web tools instead of in-class lectures [2, 41-42]. Because this model centers around students' collaborative activities, the teacher is able to provide more opportunities for authentic interactions and provide more consistent informal assessment and feedback.
A study of a flipped classroom versus a traditional classroom found that students improved achievement in grammar student learning outcomes as well as perceived more confidence in their grammar skills, which was comparable to other studies of the effects on achievement [1, 58]. Additionally, Sanford describes the "student-directed approach," which "forces students to bear the responsibility for their own learning experiences" [3, 15]. In this approach, students teach a concept or design and lead activities with support from the teacher. Sanford has seen improvement in students' scores as well as motivation. Implementing a model that gradually moves teacher talk out of the classroom boosts academic achievement and learning.
As McLean states [3, 33], "Teachers talk too much." He suggests the obvious solution, which is "for the teacher consciously to become more silent, so that the learner may become more vocal". Teachers need to be aware of with what, how, and how much they are filling the classroom with their voices in balance to students' voices. The learner's freedom of choice in reading is the most importance variable - the factor of content suitability (that is, how far the learner is interested in the content of the reading passage) would distort any results one might obtain.
In a strategy known as "reciprocal teaching," the teacher increases student-talking time by encouraging students to respond using longer utterances and by providing students with openings to talk in class. Some student tasks include paraphrasing other students, using reported speech, forming questions, and explaining concepts they understand from a lesson or an interaction [2, 21]. The focus is on increasing studenttalk time and reducing teacher-talk time.
More than anything, teachers need to treat their role(s) in the classroom appropriately. Learning how to learn is more important than being taught something from the "superior" vantage point of a teacher who unilaterally decides what shall be taught" [2, 90]. The amount and the effectiveness of teacher talk in the classroom should be considered as part of this role as a facilitator. Below are some guidelines to reduce ineffective teacher talk, increase student talk and interaction, and utilize stude nt-centered techniques in the classroom.
References
1. Brown H.D. Principles of Language Learning and Teaching: A Course in Second Language Acquisition. 6th ed. White Plains. N.Y.: Pearson, 2014.
2. Lewis M. "Classroom Management." Methodology in Language Teaching: An Anthology of Current Practice. Jack C. Richards and Willy A. Renandya. (eds.). New York: Cambridge, 2002.
3. McLean A.C. "Destroying the Teacher: The Need for Learner-Centered Teaching". English Teaching Forum, 1980. 18 (3). pt. in English Teaching Forum, 2012.
