By Jemma Holden
In MFL, a lot of our time is spent drilling vocabulary - repeating new words and phrases until they stick. This can feel a little mechanical, and it’s not always obvious if students are actually remembering anything. However, I’ve found that choral repetition - asking a whole class to repeat key words in unison - can really help students engage and retain what they’ve learned.
A key benefit of choral repetition is that it encourages a culture of ‘no opt out’. Every student needs to be engaged and listening, every student is expected to attempt an answer, and every student has the chance to learn. It stops us assuming that silence equals understanding and prevents the confident few from taking control. Research shows that actively producing information, rather than just hearing it, strengthens memory and helps students retain knowledge more effectively. It also supports confidence and resilience as students quickly learn that making mistakes out loud is part of learning, and it gives teachers the chance to address whole class misconceptions efficiently.
However, I am definitely aware that achieving 100% participation isn’t always easy, and I’ve had many lessons met with awkward silence and have wondered if a class would ever join in. But I’ve found that with clear routines and consistently high expectations, most students eventually meet you there.
Routines make a real difference. In my Spanish lessons, I use simple cues: “Escucha” (hand to my ear) and “Repite” (pointing to the students). This signals exactly when students should respond and helps keep lessons moving. The consistency also helps students feel safe to try, even if they might get it wrong. Over time, most students begin to speak more confidently
Additionally, I’ve found it helpful to encourage engagement with plenty of praise. I regularly award house points to recognise strong effort and good pronunciation or recall. For younger years, turning it into a competition also works well. For example, splitting the class in half and awarding points to the half with stronger pronunciation, pace or effort. Over time, participation becomes more automatic, even when the vocabulary is new or challenging.
While call and response lends itself particularly well to languages, it’s a technique that can work across all subjects. I did a placement at an Ark Academy school last year, and saw it effectively used across the board, with really positive impact. For example, in English, the teacher asked, “Who killed Macbeth?”, counted down, 3, 2, 1… and the whole class answered together. In science, students chorused definitions of key terms in the same way. The energy in the classroom was noticeable, and every student was actively thinking and participating.
When used consistently, call and response helps to keep students actively involved, gives teachers immediate insight into understanding, and turns repetition into a purposeful part of learning rather than a passive routine. Try this out!
Further resources:
https://tipsforteachers.co.uk/call-and-respond/
https://www.innerdrive.co.uk/blog/choral-response/
Doug Lemov, ‘Teach Like a Champion’, Chapter 4: Engaging Students in Your Lesson
