TTT and STT are abbreviations frequently used in the teaching community. They stand for Teacher Talking Time and Student Talking Time respectively – in other words, the amount of time the teacher speaks and the amount of time the student speaks during a lesson. TTT refers to the total time in class when the teacher is the main speaker and the student is primarily listening (and STT, of course, the opposite).

Why is the right TTT to STT ratio important?

The traditional Polish education system has accustomed many of us to a model in which the teacher talks and the student politely listens, takes notes, and absorbs knowledge (or at least is supposed to). This pattern often accompanies us from primary school all the way to university lectures. Although this is slowly changing, the typical student usually remains silent unless called on. Such a system reinforces the belief that listening equals learning, and speaking equals being tested.

At Prolang, we are much closer to Confucius’ famous saying:

“Tell me and I forget,

show me and I remember,

involve me and I understand.”

We believe that we learn most effectively through practice and active thinking, and that the student’s voice should be heard most often during the lesson. Constantly placing the student in the role of the speaker (the producer of language) means, among other things, that:

• the student will frequently ask for new words to express their thoughts accurately,
• the student will repeatedly use common grammatical structures while trying to apply them in the correct context – especially when telling stories or anecdotes,
• the student will overcome language barriers and speaking anxiety more easily,
• the student will remember much more from each lesson when practicing new material involves active effort.

How much should the student speak?

A universal rule of thumb worth following is the golden 70:30 ratio. What does this mean in practice? The student or students should speak for about 70% of the lesson time, and the teacher for 30% or less.

At this point, many teachers or students may object – what if the student is a complete beginner and cannot say anything yet? What if the lesson focuses on grammar and the teacher needs to explain certain structures for the first time? Although different scenarios may slightly affect the ratio, our experience shows that well-planned lessons allow students to speak for the majority of the class at every level and with every topic.

How can we reduce TTT and increase STT?

In theory, it all sounds great – but how do we actually achieve the 70:30 ratio? Below is a list of practical tips for teachers, inspired by the excellent practices of Prolang teachers.

1. The relationship between the teacher and students

The student should feel comfortable in class and see the teacher as a partner and supporter, not an authoritarian figure. A relaxed atmosphere encourages speaking, sharing stories, anecdotes, and jokes – all incredibly effective tools for language learning!

2. Asking questions

A teacher may ask dozens of questions during one lesson. This dynamic should work both ways! Teachers should encourage students to ask questions not only to the teacher but also to other group members. The benefits are numerous: increased Student Talking Time, stronger rapport (see point 1), and regular practice of forming questions – a skill that is often somewhat neglected.

3. Pair and group work

Not all interaction needs to take place between the teacher and the student. After explaining a task, it is worth dividing the group into pairs and sending them into separate breakout rooms in an online communicator.

4. Delegating tasks

This is probably the most important point on the list. In regular lessons with the same teacher, students quickly become familiar with the structure of a typical class and can actually lead a large part of it themselves! Delegating tasks – handing over parts of the teacher’s role to the student – is an excellent way to minimize Teacher Talking Time.

The teacher can ask a student to:

– read the instructions or explain the task to others,
– comment on or ask questions about another student’s response,
– correct another student or explain a new word to them,
and much more.

Delegating tasks builds students’ confidence and contributes to a great classroom atmosphere. It is far more engaging to ask, “Who knows this word and can explain it to the others?” than to simply provide a ready-made definition. Many students also appreciate joint brainstorming about mistakes more than mechanical correction from the teacher.

5. Body language

Many concepts can be easily illustrated with gestures and facial expressions. This way of explaining vocabulary not only reduces Teacher Talking Time but is often faster and more intuitive. Although such pantomime by the teacher may sometimes provoke laughter, it is precisely this element that makes it memorable.

It is also helpful to establish a set of basic gestures with students – “once more,” “stop, think about the mistake,” “stress syllable X,” and so on. Such a system allows the teacher to correct students without verbally interrupting them.

6. Guiding students toward the correct answer

A satisfied student is one who feels they have arrived at the correct answer themselves. A good teacher will avoid giving ready-made solutions and lengthy definitions. The most effective support often comes in the form of hints – common collocations, gestures, riddles, or well-known quotes. This approach not only reduces Teacher Talking Time but also improves retention because it requires mental effort from the student.

Instead of explaining in detail what multi-level marketing is, it may be better to ask whether the student has ever hosted a cookware or vacuum cleaner presentation at home. They will quickly understand the concept – and likely share an interesting story in the process.

7. Authentic materials, task-based learning, and the discovery process

Another extremely important point – especially for those who believe that introducing new grammar requires high Teacher Talking Time.

Language learners tend to remember content better when it is connected to authentic situations and real life – especially their own lives. Moreover, “figuring out” new grammar becomes much easier when analyzing interesting examples.

Instead of presenting a black-and-white table with grammar rules, it may be more effective to look at the headline of an engaging article or listen to a podcast excerpt that illustrates the structure in context. A good teacher presents grammar in an authentic setting and then allows students to deduce the rules of its use (the so-called discovery process). The next step is to consolidate the new structures through active use in a practical situation – ideally one closely related to the student’s real life (task-based learning).

For example, if the teacher plans to discuss the structure “I wish,” they might choose from many popular songs built around this phrase. Through well-designed guiding questions, the teacher can encourage students to explain the meaning, usage, and structure of “I wish.” Then the class can move on to complaining about work, a boss, a mother-in-law, or anything else that causes frustration – and the new grammar will stick for a long time, while the lesson will never be boring.

8. Error correction

Some teachers instinctively correct every mistake – sometimes to the point where it sounds as if the teacher is speaking more than the student. It is worth applying other methods described in this article, such as signaling an error with a gesture and asking the student to self-correct, or inviting other participants to explain the mistake. The teacher can also note recurring errors and organize a brainstorming session at the end of the lesson, during which students discuss what was incorrect and why.

We also wrote about error correction in a separate article here.

What results can be expected? Our observations

From our frequent conversations with Prolang students, we have noticed that those who speak for the vast majority of the lesson:

• overcome their fear of speaking on the phone and in meetings more quickly,
• feel proud of their language progress and look forward to reaching the next level,
• evaluate their teacher very positively,
• learn to notice and correct their own mistakes without the teacher’s intervention,
• experience greater satisfaction after lessons,
• engage more often with the foreign language in their free time.

Let us remember that for many students, class time is the only opportunity to use a foreign language in a relatively stress-free environment (or at all!). That is why it is so important that they remain the true protagonists of the lesson.