PracticalTechniquesforLanguageTeachingStudentscanbesilent,butstillinvolvedyoung(andnotsoyoung!)teacherstendtotalktoomuch.Inanefforttocounteractthis,trainingcourseencouragethemtoreduceteachertalkingtimeandincreasestudenttalkingtime.Thisisoftenjustifiedonthegroundsthat'it'sthestudentswhoneedthepractice'.Thisadviseistrue-asfarasitgoes.Ofcoursestudentsshouldnotbeleftlisteningtotheteacherdroningon,ofcoursestudentsshouldbeinvolvedinthelesson.Butthatisverydifferentfromsayingthatallstudentsshouldbeencouragedtospeak,orthatthestudentwhoisnottalkingisnotparticipating....itistheteacher'sjobtoinvolveeverybody,butnecessarilytoinvolveeverybodyinthesameway.Somestudentscanparticipatefullywhilesayingverylittle.Thiscanbefrustratingfortheteacher,butitisimportanttorealisethatyouaretheretoadapttoandhelpthestudents-nottoimposeyourdemandsonthem-creatingstressandreducinglearning-andcertainlynotinanefforttochangetheirpersonalities.Ifyouaresensitivetothepeoplearoundyou,itiseasytotellthedifferencebetweenstudentswhoarebored,andstudentswhoaresilentbutinvolved.Intheformercase,perhapsyouneedtochangewhatyouaredoing;inthelattercase,wesuggestthatyoushouldrespectthestudent'spersonaldecision.Manystudentsmaygenuinelyenjoylisteningtoyou,ortootherstudentsand,iftheyarerelaxed,thelanguagethattheyarehearingcanbeofrealbenefittothem.Learntorespectthefactthatstudentsmaybeinvolvedinlearning,withoutnecessarilymakingacontributiontoyourideaof'agoodlesson'.
