Working with small groups during the lesson

Working with small group provides your students with the opportunities for self- discovery and understanding of differences. By thinking about how to present a well-organized, сoherent point of view, students improve their language skills as they analyze and discuss problems. When using group-work as part of the assessment progress, try to focus on values, attitude, or behavior. Topics can include cultural values, learning objectives, or environmental issues. Such topics will motivate students and stimulate conversational responses which grammar lessons seldom generate.

Before asking your students to form discussion groups, be sure that they understand how to behave in small groups. You might want to ask four to eight students to come to the centre of the class to provide a model of a small group discussion.

Cultural values can be a thought-provoking, highly revealing topic for small group-work. One example of a cultural survey places values on opposite sides of a continuum;

People must accept their lives as they are. 1 2 3 4 5 People can improve their lives

Teach children to be independent 1 2 3 4 5 Teach children to depend on their elders.

Marry first, then love 1 2 3 4 5 Love first, then marry.

Discuss differences. 1 2 3 4 5 Ignore differences of opinion.

Competition motivates me. 1 2 3 4 5 Competition bothers me.

Ask the students to circle the number closest to their own position. As the students analyze the options, tell them to think about their individual preferences first. Then have them compare their answers with those of someone sitting nearby, and finally,put the students into small groups and request a small group consensus.

This sequence is called THINK-PAIR-SHARE. Students might complete three sentences to reinforce the process.

My partner’s reaction---------------------

Our group’s reaction----------------------------------

Have one of the students record some examples to support the groups consensus.

Because the members of the group must come to an agreement, this activity also gives you an opportunity to introduce social skills, including appropriate terms for suggesting, agreeing and disagreeing.

Small group working can also be used to highlight the reasons students are learning English. To find out more about the expectations that your students bring to their English class, use a ranking system and ask groups to prioritize their reasons for studying English.

Statements to rank might include these;

Ranking from»1» = most important to «5» = least important

—--------------To pass the National Exam

—--------------To read magazines and books

—--------------To listen to the radio and watch TV

—--------------To get ajob that requires English skills

—--------------To move to an English speaking country

—--------------To understand other cultures---------

—------------- Others

This discussion topic will require students to think about the possible benefits of your class. It will also give you a point of reference as you plan activity to motivate your students.

Prioritizing is an activity that can be used to encourage critical thinking and discussion about what and how and why students are learning. A similar group activity is to ask students to analyze eight sentences and come to a consensus about the four that they believe are the most important:

1. A good teacher helps students to become independent learners.
2. Students can help each other to learn English.
3. Teachers are the only source of knowledge in the classroom.
4. The best way to learn English is to study grammar.
5. The best way to learn English is to read and talk about interesting topics.
6. Teachers must correct all grammar mistakes.
7. Everyone learns alanguage the same way.
8. Social skills are an important part of language learning.

As the students discuss these sentences, they will begin to analyze the alternatives to traditional teacher- centered lectures. When the whole class comes together to discuss and summarize the small group decisions, you will have an opportunity to challenge the students to think about their roles and responsibilities.

If you plan to include environmental themes in your lesson, you might ask students to respond to statements that require them to reflect on their attitudes toward environmental threats. The Peace Corps ICE Manual Environmental Education in the Schools; Creating aprogram that works! includes a variety of environmental topics that would be appropriate for small group surveys and discussions in your English class. Students can discuss these issues and try to come to a consensus which is shared with the entire class.

Small group activities improve social skills, critical thinking skills, сonfidence and achievement. They should be introduced carefully to establish successful patterns of behavior.

References:

1. Understanding and Using English Grammar by Betty Azar1981.
2. Environmental Education creating a Program that Works! by Braus and David Wood 1993.
3. Teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language by the Center for Applied Linguistics 1989.
4. Cooperative Language Learning’s; A Teacher ’s Resource Book edited by Carolyn Kessler1992.