No abstract

In this paper, I draw on interviews with two colleagues, student comments and my own experiences of leading and developing a two day residential course for A Level English Language students at the beginning of Year 12 to explore the role that out‐of‐school learning can have in ‘setting free the spirit of English’. I argue that not only is it possible to use creative and imaginative approaches to learning in English within the constraints of the curriculum but also that these approaches are valuable experiences which can underpin and enhance pupils’ learning.

By focusing on some of the pragmatic features of two A Level students' learning conversations, I explore the ways in which they make meaning while working together to produce shared writing on a computer. I argue that the widely used theory of 'exploratory talk' might not always explain how learners make sense of each other in order to develop their ideas. While recognising that this research needs further development, I show how subtle, nuanced ways of making meaning can bring about 'constructive talk' which develops the students' collaborative learning activities.