GROUPING LEARNERS

 WHAT DOES GROUPING LEARNERS MEAN?

There are different ways in which we can organise our learners in the classroom. For example, learners can work on their own, as a whole class, in pairs, in teams, in groups. Organising learners into different working patterns is what we mean by grouping learners. 

Teacher - student interaction patterns

Students can be grouped in the classroom in two different ways. The first way is when the teacher selects specific interaction patterns for the students. This means the ways they can work together and with the teacher in the class. These include group work, open class, pair work and individual work. They also include the teacher to student(s) and student(s) to teacher.

This table shows the examples of different interaction patterns

Teaching purpose: Why?	Activity: What?	Interaction pattern: How?
Review the students’ knowledge of vocabulary and/or structure and the topic or context.	Brainstorming	1. Groups: students to students (Ss —>Ss) 2. Feedback: students to teacher (Ss —>T)
Check students’ understanding of new vocabulary	Bingo game	Whole class: teacher to students (T—>Ss)
Give students practice in scanning	Reading and filling in a chart	1.Individuals 2. Pair-work: student to student (S —> S)

In lesson plans, usually short forms are used to show interaction patterns. Eg: T —-> Ss rather than writing out ‘teacher to students’. ‘S’ means one student whereas ‘Ss’ means many students.

In my point of view, we can arrange the groups as we want depending on the number, age and method. Methods which can be used in a very traditional way could be the grammar translation method and direct method. The ones with a wider range of ways is dessugestopedia, multiple intelligences and total physical response. 

In my case what I do is to group work with different patterns such individuals, pairs and groups (no more of three people). This last thing is ideal since we can manage more effectively the way we teach and monitor everyone in the classroom.