Everyone should leave with a better understanding of the skills which need to be taught in order for students to be proficient in communicating in education and life; as well as a wider repertoire of strategies to use in the classroom to encourage purposeful, interactive learning and thereby raise standards.

Aims of the course are to:
* A clear understanding of the skills needed for successful talk and discussion
* Help teachers to establish a classroom climate for talk
* Recommend strategies to encourage different kinds of talk in the classroom [from exploring ideas to analysing and evaluating]
* Help teachers consider the need for formal talk activities and how to set them up