Classroom discourse in pre-service English teacher education

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of mastering teacher talk within pre service English teacher education. Verbal interaction between the teacher and pupils constitutes an indispensable part in all classroom activities. A series of tasks aimed at developing students’ teacher talk skills was worked out. It includes three groups of activities: analytical activities, knowledge activating activities and interactive activities (such as role-plays, simulations and scenarios). The activities proved to have an advantage of involving students in the process of fulfilling authentic tasks closely related to their future profession providing them with plenty of practice and opportunities for interaction. Thus integrating classroom discourse training into the process of pre-service foreign language teacher education is a rewarding experience.