Resource 3: Dealing with some of the challenges of using pair and groupwork for speaking activities

Table R2.1 Possible solutions to the challenges of using pair and groupwork for speaking activities – completed version.
It is up to you to let your students know what an acceptable level of noise is. Move around the room and keep an eye on all the groups and pairs so that you can immediately stop them if some students are getting to loud or not doing the activity. B
Make sure that you provide support for students who are struggling. They may need more help with words or phrases, or more time to plan what they are going to say. C
Students could plan with others so that they can help each other. Try to encourage all of your students so that they stay motivated and eager to learn. C
Talk to other teachers in the school and your headteacher so that they know why there is noise in your classroom. Make sure that they understand that the noise is a result of active learning and not a lack of discipline. B
Don’t worry too much about mistakes. You can make notes and review common problems with the whole class after an activity. D
If noise is a problem, agree time limits, or – if you can – go outside to do the activity. B
Be positive about mistakes. Remember that the classroom is a safe place for students to practise – they can learn from their mistakes and rehearse language before they have to use it outside the classroom in ‘real life’. D
As you move around the classroom, make notes when students use their home language, and at the end of the activity, you could teach them the English they need. Encourage students to note down the words they don’t know, and to use a dictionary to look the words up in their own time. A
Remember that it is natural for students to use their home language or to mix languages. Encourage them to use English as much as they can, but also understand that there are times when students don’t have the language in English to express what they want to say, and remember that even some English is better than none. A

Resource 2: Resource for role play

Resource 4: Speaking activities