In our new ‘Back to basics’ series, we’re looking at different elements of the English language classroom and refreshing our skills. This time around, we’re focusing on group work. Throughout the last two years, group work has taken many different forms. Having to move online forced a lot of teachers to reassess how group work could function, and the importance of student-to-student interaction.
Why is group and pair work so useful?
Group work changes the pace of the lesson. Allowing students to stop focusing on the teacher and instead feel re-energized by interacting with each other, this really helps to avoid classroom fatigue. Students also benefit by gaining opportunities to socialize and work as a team. Working together to achieve team goals allows students to practice their leadership, team-working and problem-solving skills, as well as gaining a huge sense of satisfaction through achieving their aims together. As a teacher, group work creates a fantastic opportunity for monitoring and observing language practice. Teachers are able to check the production skills of many students at the same time. However, group work can be tricky to navigate and hard to manage, so we’ve compiled a few tips and tricks to make sure all activities run smoothly.
How do you make the most of group work?
Change the groups!
It is so important to mix up members of groups and pairs in your classroom. It seems obvious, but we can all get a little too comfortable, and relax into routine. Remember that fresh conversation and exciting new interactions are not only more engaging, but will also create more distinct memories to which target language will be linked to in the brain, helping it stick even longer.
Keeping focus on English
As a teacher you won’t be able to monitor every group at once, so it can be useful to employ students as monitors for you. You can set up groups where students A and B are speaking whilst student C monitors. Create a system where monitors are required to stand up every time they hear a word that isn’t in English. The activity ends or a forfeit is given when all of the monitors are standing. This will keep listening students more engaged in the activity, as well as speaking students more focused on their English.
Keep the groups small
In groups of 4 or above, it can be difficult for students to get the time they need to talk, interact and share their ideas fully. This can lead to students switching off mentally and zoning out of an activity. Pairs work great as both students are forced to play an active role (one student speaking, and the other listening), meaning less chances to become distracted.
Work with odd numbers
When you have an odd number of students in an activity taking place in pairs, don’t pair the last student with yourself! Working closely with one individual student will mean the rest of the class won’t receive the monitoring, attention and feedback they require. As we all know, students can be very astute, and if they notice your attention is entirely on one student, some may see it as an opportunity to wander off task. Instead take the ‘odd’ student and create a group of three, being sure to mix around the groups so that the group of three later has a chance to work in pairs with equal time to speak.
Balancing conversation
Every classroom contains spectrum of talkative students, from the very confident and chatty to the completely shy. Instinctively it might seem to be a good idea to pair talkative students with quiet students, so that the quiet student is encouraged to talk more. However, this normally leads to conversation being dominated by the louder of the two, and the quiet student content in not having to engage as much. It can be better instead to pair quieter students together, so that neither one monopolizes the conversation, and both are allowed the opportunity to talk.
Be careful when announcing the groups
Students can get excited, or possibly even disappointed, when hearing who they will be working with. In order to keep focus until the last minute, try to explain the activity and answer any possible questions before announcing the groups. You can even practice the activity in front of the class with a mock group for clarity, but don’t announce the final groups until the activity is ready to start, so that you’re students are fully prepared to pair up and get started.
If you’re interested in improving your English classroom further, why not continue your own education with one of International House London’s Teacher Training Short Courses. In a matter of days, you can refresh and refine your teaching skills to keep your classes to their highest standard. Visit our website to learn more.
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