The effectiveness of pair work and group work in teaching and learning English

CONTENTS
A. REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE RESEARCH
B. AIMS OF THE RESEARCH
C. SCOPE, OBJECT AND RESEARCHING METHOD
D. MAIN CONTENT
I. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1. What are pair work and group work?
2. Main advantages, problems and solutions to the problems
II. ORGANIZING PAIR WORK AND GROUP WORK
1. Group and pair work organization
2. Organization steps
3. Demonstration
4. Suggestions for some popular kinds of practice
E. RESULT AFTER APPLYING THE RESEARCH IN TEACHING
F. CONCLUSION
G. REFERENCE BOOKS

2


The effectiveness of pair work and group work in teaching and learning English
A. REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE RESEARCH
This is the sixth year we are carrying out the reformation in teaching new English
textbook. Most of the teachers are used to this new English textbook and try to find
out good teaching methods as much as possible to apply in English periods.
In order to make his English period more effective, the teacher himself must find
out the way of teaching suitable for his students. I think that in a good English
period, the students play active roles and the teacher is only the adviser.
All the teachers know pair work and group work are the main activities in

The teacher divides the whole class into pairs. Every student works with his
or her partner and all the pairs work at the same time. The teacher walks around,
listens and intervenes little if necessary.
1.2 Group work:
Students work in small groups (of four or five) on tasks that entail
interaction: conveying information, for example, or group decision making. All the
groups work at the same time. The teacher walks around, listens, and intervenes
little if necessary.
2. Main advantages, problems and solutions to the problems
For certain types of activities, pair work and group work have any number of
advantages in working with the whole class together. Teachers should think what
the main advantages are, and also what problems might be involved in pair work,
group work and the solutions for these.
Here are some main advantages and problems:
Advantages

Problems

- Students have more chances to practise - The class is noisy.
English.

- Students make mistakes.

- Students are more involved.

- It is sometimes difficult to control

- Students feel more confident.

class.


* Students feel more confident:
Students feel less anxious when they are working in pairs or groups than
when they are on show in front of the whole class. Pair work and group work can
help shy students who never say anything in a whole class activity.

* Students learn from each other:
Pair work and group work encourage students to share ideas and
knowledge. In a reading activity, students can help each other to explore the
meaning of a text; in a discussion activity, students can give each other new ideas.

* Students know how to co-operate and share the work with each other:
Students know that their task is successful or not it depends on not only
themselves but also their partners. Therefore, when working in pairs or groups
5


The effectiveness of pair work and group work in teaching and learning English
students know how to co-operate and share the work with each other to lead a good
result.

* Teacher can save time:
When teacher asks students work in pairs or groups at the same time he can
save more time than when he gets them to work individually.

Now talk about the problems, and discuss the ways of recovering them:

* The class is noisy:
Obviously pair work and group work in a large class will be noisy, and this
cannot be helped. But:

1. Group and pair work organization
- The success of group or pair work depends on some extents:
The climate of the class
The students’ habit of working in pairs or groups
The selection of an interesting and stimulating task of the teacher
The good performance within the ability of the group or pair
- More immediately, it also depends on:
Effective and careful organization

2. Organization steps:
2.1. Presentation:
The instructions that are given at the beginning are crucial. If the students do
not understand exactly what they have to do, there will be a waste of time,
confusion, lack of effective practice, possible loss of control. Select tasks that are
simple enough to describe easily; and in monolingual classes, you may find it costeffective to explain some or all in the students’ mother tongue. It is advisable to
give the instructions before giving out materials and dividing the class into pairs or
groups; and a preliminary rehearsal or “dry run” of a sample of the activity with
the full class can help to clarify things. If your students have already done similar
activities, you will be able to shorten the process, giving only brief guidelines; It is
7


The effectiveness of pair work and group work in teaching and learning English
mainly the first time of doing something with a class that such care needs to be
invested in instructing.
Try to foresee what language will be needed, and have a preliminary quick
review of appropriate grammar or vocabulary. Finally before giving the sign to
start tell the class what the arrangements are for stopping: If there is a time limit, or
a set signal for stopping, say what it is; if the pairs or groups simply stop when
they have finished, then tell them what they will have to do next. It is wise to have

invested and its results. Feedback on language may be integrated into this
discussion of the task, or provide the focus of a separate class session later.
3. Demonstration:
Before teaching teacher should prepare pair work and group work activities
carefully. If he can do so the students are attracted to his designed activities. The
climate of the class is very exciting as everyone must practise.
Some teachers say that pair work and group work can only be applied in speaking
or reading periods. For me I can apply them in all periods. Besides teacher can
redesign the material so that it is suitable for his students. And below are some my
examples that I have already applied.
3.1. Examples of pair work:
Example 1:
In Unit 1: Friendship – Reading (English 11)
Teacher: Practise these questions in pairs (Warm-up)
1. Do you have a best friend?
2. Why do you consider him / her as your best friend?
The theme of this unit is very familiar with the students. They practise in pairs very
frankly and openly.
Example 2:
In Unit 8: Celebrations – Speaking (English 11)
Teacher: Practice reading the dialogue in pairs.
Model: Mai is talking with Anna, her new English friend, about Tet holiday in
Vietnam.
Mai: Do you know that Tet holiday is next month?
1
Anna: What is Tet?
Mai: It’s the time when Vietnamese people celebrate the beginning of spring. It’s
also the start of the lunar new year.
2
Anna: When is it exactly?

November

together. They prepare a
large meal with roast
turkey.

Valentine’s Day People express

14th February

They give chocolates,

their love to each

flowers or gifts to the

other.

people they love.

Mid-Autumn

People celebrate

15th day of the 8th

Children wear masks,

Festival


you some.

Students look at the model and it is easy for them to practise in pairs.
Example 4:
In Unit 4: School Education System – Writing (English 12)
Teacher: Work in pairs. Ask and answer these questions as quickly as possible.
(Before you write)
1. At what age does a child start school in Vietnam?
2. How many terms are there in a school year?
3. When does a school year generally begin and end?
4. How long does it take to complete primary education?
5. How many grades are there in Vietnamese lower secondary school?
6. How many grades are there in Vietnamese upper secondary school?
7. Is upper secondary education compulsory?
If students work in pairs carefully to answer these questions they will find it easy
to write about the school education system in Vietnam.
3.2. Examples of group work:
Example 1:
In Unit 3: A party – Speaking (English 11)
Teacher: Work in groups. You are going to take part in a competition to organize
the best party. Decide on the following:
- budget

- formal or informal dress

- date and time

- decorations
11


aware of the danger of having more
children

Population
Explosion

solutions

12

(2) to provide safe, inexpensive birthcontrol methods


The effectiveness of pair work and group work in teaching and learning English

(3) to strictly implement a family
planning policy
(4) to exercise strict and fair reward
and punishment policies

Students work in groups and finish this task more quickly than do it individually.
Example 3:
In Unit 2: Cultural Diversity – Reading (English 12)
Teacher: Work in groups to discuss the question: “What are the differences
between a traditional Vietnamese family and a modern Vietnamese family?”
Students discuss in groups to find out the differences as many as possible.
The features of a traditional Vietnamese

The features of a modern Vietnamese


- The mother takes care of the

father is the head of the household who

housework and the children with the

presents authority and makes all the

help of the father.

important decisions. His wife is

- The father can look after his children

responsible for the domestic side of

and help in the house even his wife

family life.

doesn’t go out to work.

- Men rarely cook in the kitchen. Cooking …………
13


The effectiveness of pair work and group work in teaching and learning English
is considered women’s task.
…………
Example 4:

3

duck

champion candles

parrot

4

gift

wardrobe

coach

operation

card

golf

cartoon

drama

photos

injection



Students work in groups and find out five words left quickly: flower, candles, gift,
card, photos.  They are connected with a party.
From my examples above you can see I can almost apply pair work and
group work in most of my teaching periods.
14


The effectiveness of pair work and group work in teaching and learning English
4. Suggestions for some popular kinds of practice
Pair work and group work are not “teaching methods”, but ways of
organizing the class. They can be used for many different kinds of activity, and are
naturally more suitable for some activities than for others. Before deciding what
kind of activity will be used teacher should answer the following questions:
- Can you use pair work or group work for part of the activity?
- If so, exactly what will students do in pairs or groups?
- What will you need to do before the pair /group stage?
- Is there anything you will do after it?
Here are suggestions for some popular kinds of practice:
*Pattern practice:
This can be done in pairs in the same way as practising conditional
sentences mentioned in example 3 (Example of pair work – Demonstration). Any
controlled oral practice can be done first with the whole class, and then in pairs.
* Practising short dialogues:
Acting out short dialogues can very easily be done in pairs, with little chance of
making mistakes. It can be done first with pairs of students in front of the class
and then with all students working in pairs at the same time.
* Reading a text and answering questions:
Students can discuss questions in pairs or groups and then read the text or
they can read the text silently and then ask and answer questions in pairs or groups.

students

12A3

43

in teaching

teaching

about 35% of students take about 73% of students take
part actively in the lessons

12A6

45

about 38% of students take about 77% of students take
part actively in the lessons

11A7

44

45

part actively in the lessons

about 52% of students take about 83% of students take
part actively in the lessons

Thank you very much

Bien Hoa city, May 22nd 2012
Composer

Nguyen Thi Xuan Mai

17


The effectiveness of pair work and group work in teaching and learning English
REFERENCE BOOKS
1. Practical handbook of language teaching (David Cross)
2. A course in language teaching - Practical and Theory (Penny Ur) Cambrige
university press
3. Giáo trình giáo học pháp (Tổ ngoại ngữ –Khoa ngôn ngữ và văn hóa Anh - Mĩ Úc – Trường đại học quốc gia Hà Nội)
4. Phương pháp dạy tiếng Anh Trung học phổ thông (Nguyễn Hạnh Dung)

18


The effectiveness of pair work and group work in teaching and learning English
SỞ GD & ĐT ĐỒNG NAI
Trường THPT Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh

CỘNG HOÀ XÃ HỘI CHỦ NGHĨA VIỆT NAM
Độc lập – Tự do – Hạnh phúc

Biên Hoà, ngày 22 tháng 5 năm 2012
PHIẾU NHẬN XÉT, ĐÁNH GIÁ SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM


- Đưa ra các giải pháp khuyến nghị có khả năng ứng dụng thực tiễn, dễ thực hiện
và dễ đi vào cuộc sống:
Tốt 
Khá

Đạt

- Đã được áp dụng vào thực tế đạt hiệu quả hoặc có khả năng áp dụng đạt hiệu quả
trong phạm rộng:
Tốt 
Khá

Đạt

XÁC NHẬN CỦA TỔ CHUYÊN MÔN
Tổ trưởng

Lý Thị Thanh Tâm

HIỆU TRƯỞNG

Phan Quang Vinh
19