Benefits of APT

Academically productive talk is fundamental to education because articulating ideas is a central mechanism through which language is developed. 

The language of learning differs from everyday language used outside the classroom, and using that language is critical to mastering it. While students are commonly expected to express their ideas in writing, expressing ideas orally using academically productive talk (APT) also helps to develop writing skills [1], [2]. While language development is present any time students are engaged in APT, there are five other distinct, and often overlapping, benefits. 

Walk into any classroom and observe: who is doing the explaining? Whoever it is, you can be fairly sure that they are also the one(s) learning the most. Anyone who has taught has had the experience of crystalizing their own understanding as they prepare to explain to students. The opportunity to do the explaining allows students to do precisely the same thing. It also provides the opportunity for language development, since actively using APT is essential to mastery. But academically productive talk does more than develop students' language; it fundamentally changes the learning experience.