In recent years, a number of empirical studies have highlighted the educative potential of classroom talk which approximates to the norms of dialogue between peers. The most important theoretical source for these studies is the writings of Bakhtin and his circle on the dialogic nature of language and literature, originally published in Russian in the 1920s and 30s but not translated in the West until the 1960s and later (Bakhtin, 1981; Voloshinov, 1986). Examples of the theoretical proposals which have emerged include: Dialogic teaching In a comparative international study, Alexander (Alexander, 2000) identifies patterns of teacher-pupil interaction which sustain higher levels of active student contribution, but also notes that teacher-pupil interaction in the UK and elsewhere remains dominated by recitational norms. He proposes a model of dialogic teaching which exhibits the qualities of being collective, reciprocal, cumulative and supportive (Alexander, 2004). Dialogic instruction In a large-scale study of the relationship between student literacy performance and discussion-based teaching approaches in US classrooms, Nystrand and his colleagues found that students whose classroom experiences emphasized discussion-based approaches in the context of high academic demands internalized the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in challenging literacy tasks on their own (Applebee, Langer, Nystrand, & Gamoran, 2003). Nystrand proposes the concept of dialogic instruction which is characterised by the teacher's uptake of student ideas, authentic questions and the opportunity for students to modify the topic (Nystrand, 1997). Dialogic inquiry Drawing on evidence from collaborative action research in Canadian classrooms across various areas of the curriculum, Wells analyses examples of talk accompanying classroom activities which instantiate a collective, inquiry-based approach to learning (Wells, 1999). Using the linguistic theory of Halliday to supplement the theoretical frameworks provided by Vygotsky and Bakhtin, Wells proposes the concept of dialogic inquiry, stressing the potential of collaborative group work and peer assistance to promote mutually responsive learning in the zone of proximal development. Dialogical pedagogy In a study of teacher-pupil dialogue in the guided reading session, Skidmore found that teachers exercised tight control over the parameters of relevance and were reluctant to allow student initiation or modification of the topic (Skidmore, Perez-Parent, & Arnfield, 2003). This resulted in a recitational pattern of talk which afforded little opportunity for students to formulate ideas in their own words. Skidmore makes use of Bakhtin's distinction between (a) pedagogical dialogue, in which someone who knows and possesses the truth instructs someone who is ignorant of it and in error, and (b) internally persuasive discourse, which has a semantically open structure able to reveal 'ever newer ways to mean'. On this basis, Skidmore advances the concept of dialogical pedagogy. Here students are invited to retell the story in their own words, using paraphrase, speculation and counter-fictional utterances, thus playing an active role in shaping the verbal agenda in group discussion (Skidmore, 2000). This paper will explore the relationship between pedagogy and dialogue, with particular reference to the conditions for learning which may be needed in inclusive educational settings. I will critically review the current theoretical proposals in this field and identify questions which remain unresolved, suggesting lines of enquiry which future research could profitably pursue. References Alexander, R. J. (2000). Culture and Pedagogy : International Comparisons in Primary Education. Oxford: Blackwell. Alexander, R. J. (2004). Towards Dialogic Teaching: Rethinking Classroom Talk. Cambridge: Dialogos. Applebee, A. N., Langer, J. A., Nystrand, M., & Gamoran, A. (2003). Discussion-based approaches to developing understanding: classroom instruction and student performance in Middle and High School English. American Educational Research Journal, 40(3), 685-730. Bakhtin, M. M. (1981). The Dialogic Imagination: Four Essays (C. Emerson & M. Holquist, Trans.). Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press. Nystrand, M. (1997). Opening Dialogue: Understanding the Dynamics of Language and Learning in the English Classroom. New York: Teachers College Press. Skidmore, D. (2000). From pedagogical dialogue to dialogical pedagogy. Language and Education, 14(4), 283- 296. Skidmore, D., Perez-Parent, M., & Arnfield, S. (2003). Teacher-pupil dialogue in the guided reading session. Reading: Literacy and Language, 37(2), 47-53. Voloshinov, V. N. (1986). Marxism and the Philosophy of Language (L. Matejka & I. R. Titunik, Trans.). New York: Seminar Press, Inc. Wells, G. (1999). Dialogic Inquiry: Towards a Sociocultural Practice and Theory of Education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.