Utilizing Small Groups in Large ESL Classes Dr. Bruce Kreutzer International University, HCMC

Introduction  Problems with large classes.  Schultz (1996) defines a small group as "a limited number of people who communicate face-to-face, share a common understanding of an interdependent goal, influence one another, and express a sense of belongingness to the group.”  Does Size matter?

Learning Environments Kendall (2006) points to the benefits of small groups:  1) Low-anxiety environments.  2) Opportunities for direct teacher-to-student interactions.  3) Guided student-to-student interaction.

Survey of Student Preferences These four questions asked students about how they liked to learn (N=21) : 5. They said that they liked to study by themselves: 76% 6. They said that they liked to work in pairs: 67% 7. They said that they liked to work in small groups: 86% 8. They said that they liked to work with the whole class: 81%

Student Autonomy  Brophy (2010) states that: “When students work in pairs or small groups, collaboration includes making sure that everyone in the group understands the goals of the activity, participates in carrying it out, and gets the intended learning benefits from this participation.”

Dangers  1. Group members replicating mistakes.  2. Laziness or fear.  3. Disposition of students.

Leadership selection 1. Skills to work cooperatively with others. The leaders should share the leadership. 2. An ability to share the work load evenly. Good leaders will challenge everyone to do their part in the work load and not let anyone dominate. 3. Good skills in English. These are defined by grades and observations.

Small group composition Lei et al. (2011) listed these factors:  Ability level  Gender  Cultural diversity  Linguistic diversity  Motivational level  Motivational source

Choosing Members Lei et al. (2011) states: 1) “In terms of a gain in achievement, membership familiarity hinders the group based on the lack of members’ intellectual diversity…” 2) “It appears that narrow-range mixed-ability groups are beneficial for all levels of students.” *Develop your own methods for choosing groups.

Dynamics of Small Groups Brophy (2010) advises about some useful competencies: Recognize that everyone has something to contribute and you are here to learn as well as to help others learn, and act accordingly. Listen carefully to what others say and relate it to your own knowledge and experience. If you are not sure what others mean, ask for clarification. In challenging others’ ideas and responding to challenges to your ideas, focus on the issues and on trying to reach agreement; do not get personal or engage in one-upmanship. When working in pairs or small groups, see that each person’s ideas are included and that everyone accomplishes the goal of the activity.

Evaluation Villines (2003) showed how small groups (or teams) which began and ended with high trust were successful because of:  Taking Individual Initiative  Equitable, Regular, Predictable Communication  Substantive, Timely Feedback  Productive, Skilled, and Positive Leadership

Application  Avoid using questions that can be answered with merely “yes or no.” Why?  The criteria that is being used in their group tasks should be clear and made known.  The level of difficulty can be adjusted to meet the level of ability of the student.  The groups should be given a time limit to complete each task.

Speaking  Develop a response of at least 1 minute to this question:  How does exercise help people to stay healthy? Give at least 3 reasons to support your position.  Individuals can be chosen to share with the class or everyone could share in their groups.

Reading or Listening The teacher should choose a passage or lecture for the students to use. Here are some general questions that could be the starting point for a small group to discuss: What are the main points that the author (or speaker) is making? What do you agree or disagree with him or her? Why? What is useful about this topic to your personal life? Why? What do you think is most important thing to remember about this topic? Why?

Writing  Students would write 100 words about the topic: What is one small thing that you can do now that will change your life significantly in the future? Why is it important?  This could be done as a group project or each member could write and then receive some peer review on their essays.

References Brophy, J. (2010) ‘Classroom Management as Socializing Students into Clearly Articulated Roles’, Journal of Classroom Interaction, 45.1, Kendall, J. (2006)’Small - Group Instruction for English Language Learners: It Makes Sense’, Principal Leadership, 6, Kreutzer, B. (2010) ‘The Significance of Learner Autonomy in TESOL’, September 23, 2010 at the SEAMEO Conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Lei, S., Kuestermeyer, B., and K. Westmeyer (2011) ‘Group Composition Affecting Student Interaction and Achievement: Instructors’ Perspectives’, Journal of Instructional Psychology, Vol. 37, No. 4, Schultz, B. (1996). Communicating in the small group: Theory and practice. (2nd ed.). New York: Harper Collins. Villines, S. (2003). ‘Nine Ways to Develop Trust in Committees and Small Groups’, Communities 119 :