It’s good to talk: Moving towards dialogic teaching

Introduction In 2004, Robin Alexander published his seminal work Towards Dialogic Teaching: Rethinking Classroom Talk (Alexander, 2017, 2020). Now in its fifth edition, this excellent pocket-sized book is a must read for educators, across all phases, interested in developing a more dialogic approach to their classroom practice. Dialogic teaching utilises the power of classroom talk to challenge and stretch students’ thinking and, in the process, aid their cognitive, social and linguistic development. Alexander (Alexander, 2017, 2020) provides a number of justifications for using classroom talk, from the communicative to the cultural, and the political to the pedagogical. Ultimately, it is argued that dialogue should be viewed as the true foundation of teaching and learning. In the UK, however, dialogue is still not afforded the same status as it is in other European countries where oracy is valued as highly as reading and writing. Creating a truly dialogic classroom requires car