Pair Work VS. Group Work
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Pair work
Pair work is learners working together in pairs.
One of the main motivations to encourage pair
work in the English language classroom is to
increase the opportunities for learners to use
English in the class.
Example
The learners are answering comprehension
questions in pairs after reading a text.
This allows them to compare answers,
and clarify problems together using English.
In the classroom
Teachers can evaluate the impact and
effectiveness of pair work on their learners by
using action research tools such as asking the
learners how they feel about working like this
or by actually participating in an activity in a
pair and evaluating this experience afterwards.
Teacher can enable his learners to work
individually, then jumps to enabling every 2
learners to work in pairs. Other paIrs work and
practice till they form 5 groups of 5 learners
each to create work groups, then the teacher
can do the opposite to change from working in
groups to working in pairs then individual work.
1-Individual Work:
In individual type of student work, the benefits are
that students work at their own pace, they are
confident about what they know and what they
need to send more time on, they can use their
preferred learning styles and strategies.
The disadvantage is that students don't get the
benefit of learning from peers as well as working
with their peers. Individual type of student work is
suitable when teacher wants students to do their
final task or assignment.
Kinds of pair work:
1-Open Teacher / student pair work.
2-Open Student / student pair work.
3-Closed pair work.
3-Group Work
The teachers working with large classes should
divide them into five groups which is the most
effective organization for practising speaking.
When learners work in pairs or groups, it is
impossible for the teacher to listen and correct all
the mistakes they make and this is not the
purpose of the activity.
However, he/she can reduce the number of
mistakes before the students start working by
demonstrating the activity to the class first and by
asking pairs or groups to perform in front of the
class afterwards and discussing what they said
and pointing out the most common mistakes.
Kinds of Group Work
1-Open Teacher / Group work.
2-Open Work Group/ Work Group.
Other advantages of pair work and
small group work
Gives learners more speaking time.
Changes the pace of the lesson.
Set up pair and group work
Be sure to explain the procedure before splitting
the class up.
Always demonstrate either yourself of with the
help of a volunteer exactly what they have to do.
Ask them to tell you what they have to do before
they do it (in their mother tongue if need be) to
check their understanding.
Have fill in activities ready for the quick finishers –
but be sure that they have completed the task
correctly first and haven’t just finished early
because they misunderstood what they had to do.
Telephone conversations
Sitting back to back they can practice telephone
language or just simple exchanges that don’t have
to be connected to the telephone itself. Sitting back
to back should arouse their interest and help train
them with listening skills. It’s a challenge,
but a fun one!
View Resources:
1-Improving grammar
2-Teaching Toolbox
3-Teaching Listening skills
View Other Resources:
1- Learner Dictionary.
2- Content-based Instruction.
3-Film Circles
4-A problem- solution approach.
5-Integrating language skills
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