Dialogue and reflection

Thinking together

More recent developments of Vygotsky's ideas suggest that we learn from others, not necessarily because they are more competent, but because they think differently. Neil Mercer (2000) refers to 'interthinking' occurring when people talk and develop ideas together. He proposes an Intermental Development Zone which we can imagine as the area between us when we talk together and combine our ideas. New knowledge is created.

Often we can clarify our ideas and thinking by expressing them verbally. Spoken language is one of the forms of expression of thought and it is often difficult to imagine thinking without language. Hearing what others make of our ideas can help to change and shape them. Mercer analysed discussions taking place in learning contexts and has identified evidence of changes in thinking and ideas. He takes the term 'exploratory talk', coined by Barnes (1977), for dialogue 'in which differences are treated explicitly, as matters for mutual exploration, reasoned evaluation and resolution' (p173). If you want to know more about interthinking and exploratory talk, go to Neil Mercer's book, Words and Minds.

Practical translation of these ideas leads us to consider many forms of teaching and learning where 'talk' is the tool for learning. At a simple level, lectures employ talk, although there may not be very much interaction to modify and develop ideas. Other forms of interaction also rely on talk as the tool for development of thinking. Mentoring, counselling, coaching and learning sets in Exploratory Practice are among activities we suggest on this website where talking together can be an approach to development. It makes sense to find someone to talk with in continuing professional development.

One of the important techniques we can use to develop talk and thinking is to use existing ideas to move on and shape new ones. Mercer has observed consistencies in the way conversation is used as a tool to develop thinking. He observes that teachers often use the following techniques, which could easily be developed for our own dialogues with colleagues:

• 'recap' - that is, reviewing what the other person has already experienced and then setting the scene for further development.
• 'elicitation', questioning and prompting the other person to remember what they already know and perhaps to reflect on this.
• 'reformulate' and 'repeat', often by paraphrasing something that has been said, as a way of clarifying and emphasising the idea.

What is interesting is that, through these techniques, ideas can be drawn out, rather than imposing one's own ideas on another person. They encourage ideas and allow people to think their thoughts aloud and develop conceptual understanding using a form of linguistic scaffolding.