Studying the quality of teacher–student and student-to-student interaction in whole-class and group-based talk has received increasing attention because of its perceived role in improving pedagogical practices and student learning. Despite the growing body of evidence showing that a dialogic pedagogy can improve student learning outcomes and social-emotional well-being, research into its implementation suggests teachers have found it difficult in practice and that it is rarely observed in the classroom. This chapter highlights the role of student talk as it is a key feature of a dialogic pedagogy. It presents a brief review of the research into the types of student talk found in whole-class teaching, followed by a discussion on how it is used to inform the design of the student talk analytical framework. Work on the linguistic patterning of teacher–student interaction by J. Sinclair and M. Coulthard first revealed the initiation–response–feedback exchange which is central to teacher-led recitation.