Abstract
This article reassesses the role of classroom talk in children’s learning beyond being a simple teaching tool. It underlines how classroom talk is shaped and constrained by the pedagogic and cultural environment in which it is situated. A comparative study of primary education in five countries delineates versions of human relations and of teaching values which underpin pedagogic practice, student-teacher relations, attitudes to knowledge and the nature of classroom talk. Classroom talk varies according to its tone, meaning and where it leads. The informal, conversational type of exchanges observed in the United-States contrast with the more structured and cognitively demanding exchanges in Russia, which amount to more genuine dialogue
| Translated title of the contribution | On classroom talk and its uses : an international comparison |
|---|---|
| Original language | French |
| Pages (from-to) | 35-47 |
| Journal | Revue Internationale d'Éducation |
| Volume | 50 |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |