Class, Individual, Pair and Group Work

Of the four types of grouping, pair and group work are very important if each learner is to have sufficient oral practice in the use of the language. In class work it is easy to demonstrate that learners say only one or two sentences in a lesson or, indeed, in a week. The greatest “mistake” (if oral ability is an aim) is for the learner not to speak at all! Thus, although some mistakes of grammar or pronunciation or idiom may be made in pair or group work, the price is worth paying. If learners are clear about what they have to do and the language is not beyond them, there need to be few mistakes.

Pair work: This is easy and fast to organise. It provides opportunities for intensive listening and speaking practice. Pair work is better than group work if there are discipline problems.

Group work: Some games require four to ten pupils; in these cases group work is essential. Membership of groups should be constant for the sake of goodwill and efficiency. If there is to be challenge between groups, they should be of mixed ability. If there is to be no such challenge, the teacher might choose groups according to ability, this is very much a personal choice. Many teachers consider it advisable to have a group leader. However, once more, it is our experience that groups can operate perfectly well without a group work. The leader would normally be one of the more able learners. However, there is much to be said for encouraging a reticent learner by giving the responsibility to him/her. The leader’s role is to ensure that the game or activity is properly organised and to act as an intermediary between learners and teacher.

The teacher’s role, once the groups are in motion, is to go from group to group listening in, contributing and, if necessary, correcting.

It is absolutely essential that the learners are totally familiar with the games they are asked to play. It is helpful if they are familiar with the game in their own language.

Once learners are familiar with group work, new games are normally introduced in the following way:

– explanation by the teacher to the class

– demonstration of parts of the game by the teacher and one or two learners

– trial by a group in front of the class

– any key language and/or instructions written on the board

– first try by groups

– key language, etc. removed from the board.

Practical Points

If the teacher is unfamiliar with the use of language-teaching games then it is advisable to introduce them slowly as supplementary activities to whatever course book is used. Once the teacher is familiar with a variety of games, they can be used as a substitute for parts of the course which the teacher judges to be unsuitable.

It is essential to choose games which are appropriate to the class in terms of language and type of participation. Having chosen an appropriate game, its character and the aims and rules must be made clear to the learners. It may be necessary to use the mother tongue to do this. If learners are unclear about what they have to do, chaos and disillusionment may result.

Many teachers believe that competition should be avoided. But it is wrong and counter-productive to match learners of unequal ability even within a single exchange or challenge. The less able learner may “give up” and the more able develop a false sense of his/her own achievement. It is also wrong to compel an individual to participate. Learners reluctant to participate might be asked to act as judge and scorers.

As with all events in the classroom, it is advisable to stop a game and change to something else before the learners become tired of it. In this way their goodwill and concentration are retained.

The teacher should never interrupt a game which is flowing successfully in order to correct a mistake in language use. It would suggest that the teacher is more concerned with form than with the exchange of ideas. In general, it is better for the teacher to note the error and to comment on it later.