Getting the whole class speaking in MFL: choral response, cold calling and shy pupils

Why pupils go quiet

In most language classrooms, the same few pupils answer every question. The others are not necessarily lost: many simply prefer not to risk saying something wrong, in a strange accent, in front of their peers. For teenagers, that risk feels high.

A routine that gets everyone speaking lowers the risk in three ways: everyone speaks at once before anyone speaks alone, everyone has time to prepare, and a mistake costs nothing.

Choral response, done well

A choral response is the whole class saying the answer together. It is the fastest way to get thirty pupils speaking in thirty seconds.

• Use a clear signal. Always the same word or gesture: ¡Todos! or Tous ensemble !, a raised hand, a count of uno, dos, tres or un, deux, trois.
• Keep it short. A phrase or a sentence, not a paragraph.
• Build long sentences backwards. Start with the end, then add from the front, so the ending is always the most practised part: …trigo, …tragaban trigo, Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo. Or …octobre, …le six octobre, Nous sommes le six octobre.
• Play with the voice. Whisper it, shout it, say it sadly, say it as a question. The same sentence five times, never boring.
• Split the room. This half, then that half; the back row, then the front. You hear who is actually speaking.
• Listen for the weak spot. When a sound goes wrong across the room, isolate it, drill it, and put it back into the sentence.

Choral answers have a limit: a pupil can mouth along without knowing. Always follow them with pairs or individuals.

Thinking time and rehearsal

A question followed immediately by a name gives the quick pupils the answer and the others nothing to do. Build a gap in.

1. Ask the question to everyone: ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy? Quel temps fait-il aujourd’hui ?
2. Pause for a few seconds. Nobody answers yet.
3. Pupils whisper their answer to a partner, or write it on a mini whiteboard.
4. Only then, name a pupil, or ask for a choral answer.

Mini whiteboards are especially useful: every pupil commits to an answer, and you see the whole room at a glance.

Cold calling and no hands up

Cold calling means you choose who answers, whether or not they have a hand up. With a no-hands-up rule, everyone has to be ready, because anyone might be asked.

• Question first, name second. ¿Qué hora es?, pause, then “Amir”. If you say the name first, everyone else stops thinking.
• After rehearsal, not before. Cold-call once the class has answered chorally or in pairs: the pupil has already said the answer once.
• Warm calls for anxious pupils. Tell a pupil quietly that you’ll ask them the next question, so they can prepare.
• “Say it again”. If a pupil can’t answer, another pupil or the whole class gives the answer, then the first pupil repeats it. Nobody opts out, and nobody is left stuck. Doug Lemov’s “Teach Like a Champion” calls this technique “No Opt Out”.
• Random or deliberate. Names drawn at random feel fair; choosing on purpose lets you pitch questions to each pupil. Most teachers mix both.

Shy and anxious pupils

Speaking alone in a foreign language is a real hurdle for some pupils. The aim is to lower the step, not remove it.

• Choral first, always. A shy pupil who has just said the sentence with thirty others has already done the hard part.
• Choice questions. ¿Hace sol o llueve? Il fait beau ou il pleut ? The answer is in the question.
• Sentence frames on the board, so that pupils can read their answer at first.
• A partner before the class. A pupil who has said it to a neighbour will say it more easily to the room.
• Non-verbal answers at first: thumbs up or down, a mini whiteboard, pointing to the right picture.
• Warn them in advance and let them answer an easy question first.

For pupils with specific needs, such as selective mutism or severe anxiety, follow their support plan and your SENCo’s advice: never force speech.

Correcting without silencing

The way you correct decides whether pupils try again tomorrow.

• Recast rather than reject. A pupil says “Soy cansado”: you answer Ah, estás cansado. ¿Por qué?, and the conversation goes on. A pupil says “Je suis douze”: Ah, tu as douze ans !
• Correct the class, not the pupil. When a mistake is common, drill the right form chorally: nobody is singled out.
• No marks during the routine. Speaking practice is not a test. Save assessment for other moments.
• Praise the right thing. Name what was good: a full sentence, a correct agreement, a good accent, a brave attempt.

In class: a speaking sequence for any question

This sequence works with any content, from the date to the weather:

¿Qué tiempo hace en Madrid? — Hace calor.What’s the weather like in Madrid? It’s hot.

Quel temps fait-il à Paris ? — Il pleut.What’s the weather like in Paris? It’s raining.

1. Ask the question to the whole class, in the target language.
2. Thinking time: a few seconds, in silence.
3. Pupils rehearse with a partner.
4. Choral answer on the signal.
5. Cold-call two or three pupils.
6. Reveal the model answer; the class repeats it.
7. Push further: ¿Y ayer? Et hier ? ¿Por qué? Pourquoi ?

Rotating roles

Roles give every pupil a reason to speak, and a reason to listen.

• The leader asks the questions at the front.
• The checker reveals the answer and reads it aloud.
• The echo repeats a quiet pupil’s answer loudly for the class.
• The word spotter listens for the word of the day during the lesson.

Rotate them every lesson or every week, so every pupil takes a turn.

Adapting to your class

• A1One word or a short phrase, chorally, then individuals: Hace frío. Il fait froid.
• A2Full sentences, pairs before cold calling
• B1Answers with a reason or a second tense: Hace frío, pero ayer hizo sol. Il fait froid, mais hier il faisait beau.
• B2Pupils ask the follow-up questions themselves; short spontaneous exchanges

At KS2, choral work, songs and games carry most of the speaking. At KS3, cold calling after rehearsal becomes the norm. At GCSE, the same habits prepare pupils for spontaneous speaking, where hesitating in front of others is part of the task.

Frequently asked questions