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- Vol 3 RE: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 7, App A
- Vol 3 TE: App C
- Vol 4 TE: App C
- Vol 5 TE: App C
- Vol 6 PE: App E
- Vol 7 PE: App D
- Vol 7 RE: Chapter 6
interthinkingexploratory talkcumulative talkdisputational talkcollective reasoningshared knowledgedialogic learningaccountable questioningBook Evidence summaryAt a glance
Mercer examines language as a tool not only for communicating finished thoughts but for creating knowledge jointly. He uses “interthinking” to describe how people combine intellectual resources through talk, drawing examples from classrooms, workplaces, families, courtrooms, and online communication.
Key ideas
The book analyses how shared histories and common knowledge make conversation possible, how speakers establish what counts as relevant, and how dialogue can either support or obstruct collective reasoning. Mercer distinguishes cumulative talk, which builds agreement without critical examination; disputational talk, dominated by assertion and disagreement; and exploratory talk, in which proposals are made explicit, challenged, justified, and revised. Educationally, exploratory talk is especially valuable because reasoning becomes public and available for improvement. Productive dialogue is not assumed to arise simply by placing learners in groups.
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Teachers can establish ground rules, model accountable questioning, design interdependent tasks, and help students use language to explain, compare, evaluate, and build shared understanding.
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- TE
- Teacher Edition
- PE
- Practice Edition
- RE
- Research Edition
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