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Talking as learning
Previous writing about musical learning through talk has sought to reveal insights into both the development of music and literacy skills (Barrett, 1990; Auker, 1991). The importance of developing a language for musical criticism through peer evaluating or appraising of children's own composing work, has been a familiar feature of classroom music lessons in the UK. This has particularly gained credibility because of its relationship with the formative assessment processes which typically require teachers to question pupils to monitor learning and to gain feedback. These processes of appraisal, evaluation and assessment in the classroom at all ages, highlight the importance of dialogue in recent years as an integral part of classroom processes in UK classrooms. Talk in the classroom can be used for the purposes of developing dialogic skills, such as when encouraging evaluation and reflection. Questioning also helps teachers to understand the thinking processes and interaction of young children engaged in musical tasks. In this, it draws on previous research where questioning and thinking skills are encouraged in very young children (Cremin et al., 2006; Chappell et al., 2008).
Mercer and Littleton (2007) suggest that dialogue lies at the heart of how children learn and develop through classroom experiences. They see the processes of teaching, learning and cognitive development as connected by dialogue. Alexander (2004/2006) views talk as central to extending pupils' thinking and in fostering their learning and developing their understanding. His classroom-centred research has highlighted the importance of 'dialogic teaching' and has, during the last decade, been influential in shaping National Strategies aimed to change practice in primary schools in England (DfES, 2003). More recently the 'Cambridge Review' (Alexander et al., 2009b) has reaffirmed the need for the teaching of younger children in classrooms to include interaction and in particular dialogic teaching, 'where classrooms are full of debate and discussion that is collective, reciprocal, supportive, cumulative, critical and purposeful' (Alexander, 2009a, p. 29) These authors perceive talk in the classroom as something more than just interactive teaching but rather as stimulating and extending children's thinking skills in order to advance their understandings of a task or topic. Particularly relevant to this study is their view of talk as analysing or...