Training guide

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3. Pair work

3.1. Examples of pair work tasks

‘Think – pair – share’: Learners think about a problem or issue themselves. Then they work in pairs to work out possible answers before sharing them with other learners. This could be used for spelling, working through calculations, putting things in categories or in order, giving different viewpoints, pretending to be characters from a story and so on.

Sharing information: Half the class are given information on one aspect of a topic; the other half are given information on a different aspect of the topic. They then work in pairs to share their information in order to solve a problem or come to a decision.

Practising skills such as listening: One learner could read a story and the other ask questions; one learner could read a passage in English, while the other tries to write it down; one learner could describe a picture or diagram while the other learner tries to draw it based on the description.

Following instructions: One learner could read instructions for the other learner to complete a task.

Storytelling or role play: Learners could work in pairs to create a story or a piece of dialogue in a language that they are learning.

Activity 1.9: Organising pair work

Working with two or three colleagues, use the video and audio on pair work and the notes above to write down three ‘top tips’ about using pair work.

Share this with others in the TGM and create a poster of 10 top tips. You can put it up in your school to remind you all of the benefits if using pair work.

Organising successful pair work is linked to clear instructions and good time management, as well as concise summarising – this all takes practice.

Remember, you don’t need to get every pair to report back – that would take too much time – but select learners who you know from your observations will help others to learn.

Listen to the audio or read the text below which explains how to manage pairs in order to make the most of pair work.

Audio transcript

Pair work is about involving everyone and can be done successfully with a large class.  But pairs need to be managed so that everyone knows what they have to do, what they are learning and what your expectations as the teacher are.

To establish pair work routines in your classroom, you should do the following:

  • Manage the pairs that the learners work in. So sometimes they can work in friendship pairs; sometimes they will not. Make sure they understand that it is you who will decide the pairs in order to help them maximise their learning.
  • Sometimes you could pair learners of mixed ability together so that they can help each other; and at other times pair learners working at the same level.
  • Keep records so that you know your learners’ abilities and can pair them together accordingly.
  • At the start, explain the benefits of pair work to your class, using examples from family and community contexts where people collaborate.
  • Model the task at the front with two learners, or with you and a learner, so that everyone is clear on what they have to do.
  • Keep initial tasks brief and clear, and monitor the learner pairs to make sure that they are working as you want.
  • Make sure that learners can also turn or move easily to sit and face each other.

During pair work:

  • tell learners how much time they have for each task and give regular time checks
  • Praise pairs who help each other and stay on task.

Most learners enjoy the atmosphere of everyone talking and working. As you move around the classroom observing and listening, make notes of who is working well together, be alert to anyone who is not involved, and note any common errors, good ideas or summary points for you to share with the class.