the practice of english language teaching- grouping students
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The Practice of English Language Teachingby Jeremy Harmer
Chapter 10: Grouping Students
Student: Dirk Cornelis Lourens
TEFL 569
Chapter 10: Grouping StudentsA. Different groups
A1 Whole –class teaching A2 Seating whole-group classes A3 Students on their own A4 Pairwork A5 Groupwork A6 Ringing the changes
B. Organising pairwork and groupwork B1 Making it work B2 Creating pairs and groups B3 Procedures for pairwork and groupwork B4 Troubleshooting (Harmer, 2007, p. 5)
A. Different Groups There are limitless ways of grouping students in order to
work together These include whole-class grouping, in pairs, in groups, or
on their own All of these have advantages and disadvantages The objectives or the aims of the lesson will influence the
decision as to which type of grouping will be chosen
A1 Whole-Class Teaching The practice of students sitting in rows is still very common in
many cultures Advantages and disadvantages
A sense of belonging Suitable for teacher-controlled activities
A general understanding of student progress Provides
Advantages
It favours the group; not much opportunity for individual speaking
Students may fear public failure
Teacher- to- student inclined; not much student self discovery
Not optimum for communicative language teaching
Disadvantages
A2 Seating Whole-Group Classes
Orderly rows: the most common.Big classes. Clear view and eye contact.
Good for grammar/PP presentations.
Circle: very common.For >20 students. Creates feeling of
equality. More intimate. Individual sharing optimum.
teacher
teacher
Horseshoe: teacher at open end for access to materials. Less
feeling of equality. Less dominating.
Separate tables: Optimum for groupwork/mixed ability classes.
Rotate students for diversity.
teacher
Teacher in front/whiteboard
*Choose one that fits the students and the lesson or task.
A3 Students on Their Own Promotes a pattern of individualised learning Students work by themselves, in self-access centres,1-by-1
with a teacher, or out-of-class environments
Teachers can respond to individual differences
Less stressful for students
Optimum for developing learner autonomy
It may avoid noisy and undisciplined classrooms
Advantages
Not optimum for a sense of belonging
Cooperation is not encouraged by this pattern
Involves much more preparation than whole-class teaching
It takes a lot more time than a whole-class grouping
Disadvantages
A4 Pairwork Optimum for practising, studying a text, information-gap,
dialogue, and predicting activities.
Greatly increases speaking time; can be organised quickly and easily
It develops learner independence
“Two heads are better than one.”Teachers able to give more attention to individual pairs
Advantages
Sometimes noisy with possibility of loss of teacher control
Misbehaviour opportunities greater than with whole-class arrangement
Not so popular with students who look up to teacher as the instructor
Partner choice may be problematic due to personality clashes
Disadvantages
A5 Groupwork Students are able to do many tasks not optimum for pairwork
arrangements. Groups may be large or small. Examples are writing stories, role-play, presentations,
discussions and decisions, or reassembling of information.
Promotes more talking time and learner autonomy
More varied opinions and contributions than pairwork
Students can choose levels of participation
More private than whole-class; more cooperation than pairwork
Advantages
Might be noisy Some students might not like it
Domination by some group members while others become
passiveGroups may take longer to organise
Disadvantages
A6 Ringing the Changes How do we decide whether to use pairs, groups, whole-
class, or individual patterns? It depends on various factors: The task will determine the pattern Variety in sequence to sustain motivation The mood can be changed by changing patterns
B. Organising Pair- and Groupwork Plan ahead for possible conflicts and problem solving Be ready to persuade reluctant students Make it work! Formulate clear ideas
B1 Making it Work Teacher needs to discuss routines with students and come to
mutual agreements as to conduct Practice an example and let students assess it
B2 Creating Pairs/Groups Teachers then decide whom to put together Look at friendship, streaming according to ability, chance, the
task, changing groups, and gender and status
B3 Procedures
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