ILI teachers talk about boosting student talk time on IELTS.

“Discussions die when one side listens passively while the other speaks endlessly.“ (-Chris Elliot & Janelle Rivers)

Rigorous challenges have faced students and teachers for more than a year and a half as so many classrooms are now online in response to the COVID pandemic. Readers of ILI’s NEWS know that we were not immune to new realities. Our teachers chose to embrace them and work in partnership with students to deliver an excellent educational experience, especially in providing opportunities for students to actively participate and help direct classroom activities.

ILI instructors Chris Elliot and Janelle Rivers recently shared their methods to encourage online student participation through increased student talk time in their article “How To Boost Student Talk Time in Zoom” that was published on IELTS’ Blog for Teachers (July 6, 2021) as the first of a two-part series.

Screenshot of an online class with 4 students and instructions

The article reconciles the fact that while in-person classes are starting up again, online instruction is not going away and needs to be optimized with students first in mind. Chris and Janelle discuss ways to boost student talk time as well as research-based ideal student talk time parameters. They present three concepts: using names to build community, adhering to turn-taking rituals, and creating scripts. In the second of the articles, they expand upon examples of scripts. And in both articles, Chris and Janelle provide examples of how to put their methods into practice.

Read the full article here.

Stay tuned for Part 2, we’ll alert you when it’s published.

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Access the IELTS Blog for Teachers here.