The teacher asks the class: “What’s the past tense of go?” and then says: “Marco?”, Cold calling (Marco has had no warning and no preparation time. For a quick, low-stakes recall question this works well in a relaxed atmosphere.), “Think for 30 seconds, then discuss with your partner. After that I’ll ask some of you to share.”, Warm calling (Students get thinking time and a private rehearsal, and they know they may be asked. This is Think–Pair–Share.), “Giulia, in a minute I’m going to ask you about question 2, so get ready.”, Warm calling (Giulia is chosen in advance and has time to prepare. A heads-up is one of the simplest ways to warm up a cold call.), After pair work, the teacher says: “Luca and Anna, what did you two decide?”, Warm calling (Luca and Anna have already rehearsed their answer together, and asking a pair lowers the pressure.), The teacher sees a student looking at their phone and suddenly asks: “Sara, what did I just say?”, Cold calling, used as a punishment (This is cold calling used to catch a student out. It damages trust and increases anxiety about speaking. Cold calling works best as a routine for everyone.), For a debate question, the teacher gives one minute to write notes alone, two minutes to compare ideas in pairs, then nominates students to share., Warm calling (Individual thinking time and pair rehearsal make the public answer longer and better. This is the best setup for opinion questions.), Young learners, A1. The teacher holds up flashcards and quickly asks different children around the room: “What colour is it?”, Cold calling, and it is appropriate here (Quick, low-stakes vocabulary recall with a one-word answer suits cold calling, as long as the mood is playful.), The teacher asks a question, pauses for five seconds, and then says: “Chiara?”, Cold calling (Pausing helps everyone start thinking, but Chiara still had no warning and no chance to rehearse. A pause makes a cold call fairer, but it is still cold.), “Everyone, write your answer first. Then tell your partner. I’ll listen and choose someone to share what their partner said.”, Warm calling (Writing and pair talk come first, and reporting what a partner said lowers the stakes further. This is strongly warm calling.), The teacher asks a B2 student, with no warning: “Do you think social media does more harm than good? Explain.”, Cold calling, which is risky for this kind of question (This is a cold call on a complex opinion question. Students usually give short, weak answers under pressure, so this question needs thinking and pair time first.), A shy student has been silent all lesson. The teacher suddenly says: “Anna, your turn. What do you think?”, Cold calling, not a good idea for this student (Cold calling a shy student without warning is the most likely way to cause freezing. Pair rehearsal or a heads-up would be much safer.), The teacher walks around during pair work, listens to Marco’s good idea, and says: “That’s interesting. Could you share it with the class in a minute?”, Warm calling (The teacher chose Marco after hearing him and gave him a heads-up. This is warm calling that builds confidence, because the student already knows the idea is good.), The teacher says, in a friendly tone: “I’ll ask three quick questions. Be ready, anyone could be next!” Then asks, with no preparation time: “Elena, what’s the capital of Australia?”, Cold calling (The announcement that anyone could be asked sets expectations, but there is no preparation or rehearsal, so it is still cold calling. It is a friendly, routine version, which is fair for a general knowledge question.)

Cold calling / Warm calling

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