 Dialogical interactions challenge students to think in novel and flexible ways about various topics and issues. The language teachers use to communicate with students is critically important in helping students to understand what they are learning and how they can be effective learners. In Dialogical Teaching, teachers ask questions that probe for more detailed responses so students learn to provide answers that elaborate on information and ideas and are well reasoned and justified. Feedback is informative as well as encouraging in an environment that invites open discussion. Such an environment can be seen in small, co-operating group situations where teachers often use language that is more friendly and personal and more dialogic as they encourage students to elaborate on their ideas, build on what others have to say and provide reasons and justifications for positions taken. Teachers are encouraged to use two types of discourse in classroom interactions. A third of discourse is used to direct students learning to key points. This type of talk is often used when teachers engage in direct or explicit teaching where they want to ensure students develop specific understandings about a topic. In Dialogical Discourse, teachers discuss topics of interest together with students. Students and teachers present ideas, consider alternative solutions, clarify concerns and work to promote understandings. In so doing, they tend to engage in sustained interactions as they build on each other's ideas to develop lines of inquiry and thinking. Dialogical Discourse often occurs in small, co-operating groups where students are working on a problem-solving task together. In this type of situation, students need to harness the potential of all group members and this means listening to what others have to say, contributing ideas, challenging others' perspectives and synthesizing key points to arrive at an agreed solution or outcome. The teacher's role is to act as a facilitator, challenging and scaffolding students' ideas to help them develop a clear understanding of the topic. Now let's have a look at how Wendy Mercer uses both authoritative and dialogical talk in her classroom. As you watch, jot down each time Wendy shifts from one kind of talk to the other.