STUDENT TALK TIME: THE MISSING ELEMENT IN MANY ENGLISH LESSONS

The article examines the importance of Student Talk Time (STT) in English language teaching and explains why many students remain passive during lessons. The paper discusses the negative effects of excessive Teacher Talk Time and highlights the role of speaking practice in developing communicative competence. Drawing on educational research and classroom examples, the article presents effective strategies for increasing student participation through pair work, discussions, and collaborative activities. The author concludes that greater Student Talk Time leads to improved confidence, fluency, and overall language proficiency.