A survey of using group work on learning speaking skills to grade 9 students at khanh duong secondary school in ninh binh

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES

BA THESIS
A SURVEY OF USING GROUP WORK ON LEARNING
SPEAKING SKILLS TO GRADE 9 STUDENTS AT
KHANH DUONG SECONDARY SCHOOL
IN NINH BINH
KHẢO SÁT VIỆC SỬ DỤNG KĨ NĂNG LÀM VIỆC
NHÓM TRONG VIỆC HỌC KĨ NĂNG NÓI ĐỐI VỚI
HỌC SINH LỚP 9 TRƯỜNG THCS KHÁNH DƯƠNG
TẠI NINH BÌNH
STUDENT: TA THI GIANG
STUDENT CODE: 621263
MAJOR: ENGLISH
SUPERVISOR 1: NGUYEN THI THUY LAN, M.A
SUPERVISOR 2: PHAM HUONG LAN, M.A
Hanoi – 2021


CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY
I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report
entitled “A survey of using group on learning speaking skills to grade 9 students
at Khanh Duong Secondary School in Ninh Binh” submitted in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor in English Language.
Except where the reference is indicated, no other person’s work has been used
without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis.

Hanoi, 2021

Ta Thi Giang

Approved by
SUPERVISOR

i


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
During the process of fulfilling this graduation paper, I have received
much necessary assistance, previous ideas, and timely encouragement from my
teachers, family, and friends. I would like to acknowledge and extend my great
thanks to many people who have made the completion of this study possible:
First and foremost, I would like to offer the deepest appreciation to my
supervisor, Nguyen Thi Thuy Lan, M.A and Pham Huong Lan M.A who have
supported me throughout my thesis with his knowledge and enthusiasm. Their
detailed comments and useful advice have helped me shape my ideas and realize
my aims. Therefore, it is an undeniable fact that this paper would have not been
completed without her invaluable support.
Secondly, I am extremely grateful to all the lecturers of Faculty of
Education and Foreign Languages in Vietnam National University of
Agriculture for their awesome lectures that have helped to increase my interest
in English language and enriched my academic knowledge of English during the
past four years.
In addition, I warmly thank all my friends for their encouragement and
precious assistance throughout the process of writing the thesis. Their material
and spiritual support is a great driving force for me. Especially, I wish to thank
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong and 60-grade 9th students at the
Khanh Duong secondary school for their enthusiastic and effective cooperation
in the process of completing the survey questionnaire.

Finally, I am greatly indebted to my parents, who have encouraged and
supported me to fulfill this graduation thesis.
HaNoi, 2021

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1
1. RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY .................................................................... 1
2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ................................................. 2
3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................................................................... 3
4. SCOPE OF THE STUDY ................................................................................. 3
5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY .................................................................. 3
6. DESIGN OF THE STUDY ............................................................................... 3
PART II: DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................. 5
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................. 5
1.1 REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS STUDIES .................................................... 5
1.1.1. Related research in Vietnam ....................................................................... 5
1.1.2. Related research in the world ...................................................................... 6
1.2. REVIEW OF THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ........................................ 8
1.2.1. Theoretical background of speaking ........................................................... 8
1.2.1.1. Nature of speaking ................................................................................... 8
1.2.1.2. Different aspects of speaking ................................................................... 9
1.2.1.3. Teaching speaking in a classroom ......................................................... 12
1.2.2. Theoretical background of groupwork…………………………………..13
1.2.2.1. Definitions of group work. ..................................................................... 13
1.2.2.2. The principles to organize a successful group work in speaking class..16
1.2.2.3. Group discussion .................................................................................... 20

1.2.2.4. The role of the teacher with group work activities ................................ 21
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY ...................................................................... 31
2.1. RESEARCH GOVERNING ORIENTATION ............................................ 31
2.2. RESEARCH METHODS............................................................................. 31
2.2.1. Major method(s) ........................................................................................ 31
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2.2.2. Research setting/context............................................................................ 31
2.2.3.Data collection............................................................................................ 32
2.2.4.Data analysis .............................................................................................. 34
2.3. SUMMARY ................................................................................................. 35
CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ................................................ 36
3.1. STUDENT’S PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDE TOWARD GROUP
WORK IN LEARNING SPEAKING SKILLS .................................................. 36
3.2. DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS FACE WHEN PARTICIPATING IN
GROUP WORK.……………………………………………………………….45
PART III: CONCLUSION .................................................................................. 47
1. RECAPITULATION ...................................................................................... 47
2.CONCLUDING REMARKS ........................................................................... 47
3. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY .................................................................. 49
4. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY...................................... 49
REFERENTCES ................................................................................................. 51
APPENDIX 1 ...................................................................................................... 53
APPENDIX 2 .................................................................................................... 537
APPENDIX 3 .................................................................................................... 538

iv

ABSTRACT
Speaking is widely acknowledged as an important component of second
language instruction for all students. When learning this skills, Vietnamese
students face significant challenges as well. As a result, finding a solution to this
issue becomes critical. The information was gathered through the use of
questionnaires and interviews. The purpose of this study is to find out the
current situation and difficulties of students when using group work in learning
speaking skills of grade 9 students at Khanh Duong secondary school.
According to research results, students face a lot of difficulties when learning to
speak. Speaking is widely recognized as an important component of second
language instruction for all students. In learning these skills, Vietnamese
students also face significant challenges. Therefore, finding a solution to this
problem becomes important. Information was collected through the use of
questionnaires and interviews. The purpose of the topic is to find out the current
situation and difficulties of students when using group work in learning
speaking skills of grade 9 students at Khanh Duong Secondary School.
According to the research results, most students realize the importance of using
group work in learning to speak, difficulties when using this activity also often
occur, typically nothing to say, using using too much mother tongue. From his
research, the researcher hopes that this research will help students understand
the importance and use of group work in the most effective way.

v


LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

List of tables
Table 2.1

The importance of group work for students.

Table 2.2

Applying group work activities in learning speaking

Table 2.3

Students' interest in group work

Table 2.4

Activities that students desire to do in group work

Table 2.5

Students' perception of the characteristics of group work

Table 2.6

Students' opinions about the benefits of group work

Table 2.7

Difficulties students face when participating in group work

List of figures
Figure 2.1

Student's English level

Figure 2.2

Students' understanding of the
definition of group work

Figure 2.3

Skills that students improve after
using group work

vi


PART I: INTRODUCTION
1. RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY
In today's world, it cannot be denied that English plays a vital role in every
field of social life since it is the most common language used in communication
among people who come from different countries and regions. In their daily life,
the international language may help them prepare better for their career in the
future because it does not only equip learners with a necessary source of
information of social and culture knowledge but also gives them up-to-date
information concerning a different issues in our society nowadays. Many people
use English alongside their native language in many parts of the world. Because
the majority of books, cultural documents, and business documents are
published in English, learning English is becoming increasingly important in the
context of globalization. Using English well not only allows people to adapt to a
global work environment, but it also gives them access to a wealth of knowledge
and cultural understanding available all over the world today.
As a result, it is preferable to consider learning English in addition to your

mother tongue in order to gain access to the world's richest repository of
knowledge and culture and to succeed in the workplace. The Vietnamese people
are no exception, especially since Vietnam is still a developing country
undergoing integration. Speaking is one of the most important and essential
skills to master in order to communicate effectively in English (or any
language). People who can communicate well will be more effective at sending
and receiving information. The ability to speak fluently is a skill that must be
mastered.
Increasing a student's interest in speaking can help them develop their
conversational skills. The more engaging an environment the teachers create, the
more successful the pupils' oral abilities become. One of the most effective ways
to encourage pupils to utilize the language and push them to become more active
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is through group work activities. According to Doff (1988), pupils experience
less fear when they work privately with their peers rather than in front of the
entire class. Group work can assist shy students who have never participated in a
whole-class activity.
How to promote student’s speaking skills is still a challenging question. The
students are usually reluctant to speak when they are asked in speaking lessons.
Typically, students are self-conscious about their English proficiency and have
difficulty communicating and expressing themselves in the target language. As a
result of their fear of making mistakes, they prefer to remain silent and do not
actively participate in speaking lessons. Due to time constraints, language
teachers in schools do not devote their full attention to speaking activities.
Furthermore, they struggle to articulate themselves in English. Additionally,
they have unequal involvement in speaking lessons. To tackle these problems,
group-work activities are taken into careful consideration in order to enhance
students' speaking skills. Therefore I decided to carry out research on the survey

of using group work in learning speaking skills of grade 9th students at Khanh
Duong secondary school. The researcher hopes to get a better grasp of the reality
of using group work activities in high school speaking classes through this
thesis, as well as assisting students and teachers in comprehending the worth of
group work activities and so finding more interest in speaking classes.
2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
Aims of the study: Find out the perception and attitude and the current situation
difficulties of students when using group work in learning speaking skills
Objectives of the study:
• To investigate the perception and attitude toward group work in learning
speaking skills to 9th graders at Khanh Dương secondary school.
• To determine the difficulties of students when using group work in
learning speaking skills at Khanh Dương secondary school.
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3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Accordingly, this study will address the following research questions:
1. What are students’ perception and attitude toward group work use in
learning speaking skills at Khanh Duong secondary school?
2. What difficulties do 9th graders in khanh duong secondary school face
when using group work in learning speaking skills?
4. SCOPE OF THE STUDY
60 students and two ninth-grade English teachers were invited to participate in
the survey. Conducting research in a specific context, the findings helped me
better understand the state and difficulties of using group work in learning
speaking skills of grade 9 in Khanh Dương secondary school.
Implementation time: Two weeks of the final month of the second term in the
year 2020-2021
5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research was carried in serious order to determine the present
perceptions, attitudes, and difficulties associated with the use of group work.
The author wants to make a significant contribution to improving the use of
group work in speaking classes by using the research findings.
It will specifically help students in understanding the importance of group
work in the development of speaking skills. This can be done by students
becoming more interested and actively participating in the lesson. Furthermore,
the study highlights the problems and provides suggestions to assist students in
making the best use of this activity.
6. DESIGN OF THE STUDY
The study consists of 3 parts:
Part 1: Introduction
The background of the study, the urgency of the investigation, the issue
statement, the aim, and objectives of the study, research questions, scope of the
3


study, methodology of the study, the significance of the study, and design of the
study are all explained in the introduction.
Part 2: Development: Consists of three following chapters:
Chapter 1: Literature review. This chapter includes the theoretical
foundation of speaking, such as the nature of speaking abilities, as well as
material connected to the subject. The theoretical backdrop of the difficulties
uses group-work in learning speaking skills, including the concept of groupwork, its benefits, and the principles for organizing group-work in a speaking
class.
Chapter 2: Methodology. This chapter outlines the steps involved in doing
the research, such as questionnaires, interviews, and data analysis methods.
Chapter 3: Findings and discussion. The study's findings present the key
findings obtained from the data gathering and explain the most important
aspects.

Part 3: Conclusion. There is summarizes the entire investigation. This section
also includes the study's limitations and recommendations for further research.

4


PART II: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1 REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS STUDIES
Speaking ability is regarded one of the most significant components in learning
English. Group activities are seen to be a good way to increase communication.
Many academics, both domestically and internationally, have studied the role of
group activities in the learning of speaking abilities..
1.1.1. Related research in Vietnam
Teachers in Vietnam today place a high value on using group work
activities to attract students' interest and develop their English skills. Domestic
researchers have studied this behavior at many educational levels, from high
school to university, and at both specialized and non-specialized levels in
English. Here are a few case studies.
Li Hoang Thi Men (2013) conducted an experiment with an investigation
into the use of pair-work and group work activities to develop the speaking
skills of the first-year English major students of the Faculty Foreign Language,
Thai Nguyen University. She came to the conclusion that the use of pair-work
and group work activities are also beneficial for both teachers and learners.
However, there were some problems such as students low proficiency and their
passive way of learning styles which prevent them from taking part in pair work
and group work activities Teachers lack time and have to deal with large and
multi-level classes in unqualified conditions hindering them a lot in
implementing pair work and group work activities to teach English speaking.
In a research by Pham Dang Tram Anh (2018) she investigated into the

effects of group work in teaching speaking skills to ESP students at DaNang
University Of Medical Technology And Pharmacy( DUMTP). She proved that
the combination between two or more teaching techniques in teaching ESP
speaking would be more effective than rigidly applying only one certain
5


technique throughout the course. More importantly, teachers need to be trained
how to manipulate the teaching methods successfully in their class. It is the
teacher as a key factor that decides what and how should be conducted to gain
positive achievements.
Nguyen Thi Dieu Ha (2020) studied the use of group work to enhance
speaking skills for High School Students In Vietnam. She looked at how
students and teachers responded about using group work to improve speaking
skills in this study. She also investigates the impact of cooperative learning
strategies on students' speaking abilities. According to the findings, the majority
of the students in the study believed that speaking was a difficult skill to master.
The majority of them do not participate in speaking activities such as group or
pair work because they do not want to make mistakes. Another reason students
don't speak up in class is a lack of language.
1.1.2. Related research in the world
In the same way that researchers in Vietnam are interested in using group
activities to help people learn to speak, foreign researchers are interested in
using group activities to help people learn to speak. As a result, a number of
scholars have done extensive research on the subject. The study was carried out
in many different countries. Here are some examples of case studies.
Annisa Nurul Ilmi (2012) studied about improving speaking skills through
group work for the tenth grade students of the tourism program at SMKN 7
YOGYAKARTA In the academic year of 2011-2012. The author researched this
topic through the use of group work. The data were obtained by observing the

teaching and learning process, interviewing the students and collaborators,
holding discussions with the collaborators, giving questionnaires to the students,
taking pictures, and recording the teaching and learning process. The research
results show that the students’ speaking skills improved through the use of
cooperative learning. The students made a good improvement in some aspects of
6


speaking skills such as pronunciation, fluency, and interactive communication.
They were more confident to speak English. They had more chances to speak
up. They easily learnt the materials with a group. They actively participated
during the teaching and learning process. They were more aware of the mistakes
or errors made as they always gave feedback to others’ performance. The
various activities made the class atmosphere enjoyable.
Noor Anida Binti Awang (2013) The purpose of this research is to look
into techniques for improving Arabic speaking skills through group work
activities. The use of group work activities to teach Arabic speaking skills to
first-year Malay university students studying Arabic has been highlighted. Semiinterviews, focus group discussions, and direct observation was used to gather
data. The study's findings show that group work activities have a significant
impact on foreign language speaking skills. They help students who are shy,
easily intimidated, or afraid to speak Arabic in front of their peers gain
confidence.
Lu Yee Ting (2018) studied about teaching speaking skills through group
work activities in SMK DAMAI JAYA. The purpose of this study is to find out
the problem, potential impact and perspective of each individual when using
group work. Research results have shown that spoken language proficiency
hinders their participation in the classroom, the inability to practice the language
outside the classroom, the lack of consistency of teachers in the implementation
of the speaking activities in class, etc. Students are also more interested and
motivated. and connect with members. In addition, students also improve their

English through group work.
In general, all the above studies have studied many different aspects of learning
to speak. However, studies often focus on the benefits of doing so. Therefore,
my research this time will focus on clarifying the status and attitudes of students

7


about group activities. In addition, we also study in depth about the difficulties
that students face in this activity
1.2. REVIEW OF THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
1.2.1. Theoretical background of speaking
1.2.1.1.Nature of speaking
English language becomes common foreign language recent days. The goal
of language learning should improve student's communicative skills, because
only in that way students can express themselves and learn how to follow the
social and cultural rules appropriate in each communicative circumstance.
Speaking is an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves
producing and receiving information. All normal human being in this world
understand and speak to carry out every activities in their daily life. Every
person speaks because they are live in society that needs interaction each other.
The purpose of language learning should be to increase students' communication
abilities, because only then will they be able to express themselves and obey the
social and cultural rules that are suitable in each communicative situation.
Speaking is a two-way interactive process of creating meaning that involves
both the production and reception of data. Every normal human being on the
planet understands and speaks in order to carry out their daily activities.
Everyone speaks because they live in a society that requires them to interact
with one another.
According to Widdowson (1978:59) speaking as an instance of use, therefore,

is a part of reciprocal exchange in which both reception and production play a
part which involves both receptive and productive participation. He also added
that speaking refer to the realization of language as use in spoken interaction and
visual media since it is an activity which makes a good use of gesture, and facial
expression.

8


Human communication, according to Harmer (2007), is a complicated
process. When people want to convey anything or send information, they need
to communicate. When speakers want to inform someone about anything, they
utilize communication. Speakers use language to achieve their own objectives.
As a result, for effective communication, speakers need be both listeners and
speakers at the same time. Speaking is crucial when learning a second language.
Despite its importance, speaking has been disregarded in schools and colleges
for a variety of reasons, including a focus on grammar and a teacher-student
ratio that is unfavorable. Speaking has been excluded from testing because to the
difficulty in accurately assessing it and the time required to conduct speaking
tests (Clifford, 1987)
Of the most difficult skills language learners face in language learning is
speaking skill. It is believed that speaking is the most important of the four
language skills. Many learners state that they have spent so many years studying
English language but cannot speak it appropriately and understandably (Bueno,
Madrid, & Mclaren, 2006)
1.2.1.2. Different aspects of speaking
Accuracy and fluency are the main goals targeted by the students in the
process of teaching and learning language. Byrne (1997:5) states that accuracy is
the use of language which depends on mastery of the language system.
Accuracy focusses on the correct of grammar, vocabulary and other skills.

Whereas, speaking fluency is the ability to express oneself intelligibly
reasonably accurately and without too much hesitation.
Brown (2000:268) distinguishes between precision and fluidity. Clear,
articulate, grammatically and phonologically precise is what accuracy entails.
Fluent, on the other hand, refers to the ability to move freely. He also claims that
while fluency is the primary goal in language instruction, accuracy can be
obtained to some level by allowing pupils to concentrate on the phonology,
9


grammar, and discourse elements in their spoken output. Speaking Accuracy,
according to the definition above, is paying attention to the language on the
students' pronunciation, phonology, and grammar. Speaking fluency, on the
other hand, refers to the ability to employ language without hesitation.
With the above explanations and theories in mind, it can be concluded that
speaking ability is a physical capacity or power to move an organ of speech that
can produce sounds to express speakers' ideas through perceiving, recalling, and
articulating in the correct pronunciation, language structures, appropriate
content, appropriate vocabularies, and making interactive activity without too
much huffing and puffing. When speaking, someone can demonstrate
intelligibility, accurately convey intended meaning, and engage successfully
with other speakers by using proper language.
Accuracy
Gower, et al. (1995, p.99-100) give two main aspects of speaking skill. They
are accuracy and fluency. ‘Accuracy involves the correct use of vocabulary,
grammar and pronunciation. In controlled and guided activities the focus is
usually on accuracy and the teacher makes it clear from feedback that accuracy
is important". In speaking accuracy is very important and teachers should
encourage students for the correct use of language. However, teachers should
not be too focused on accuracy because if they pay too much attention to

produce language from the beginning, they could not speak fluently. Gower
suggested that on particular activity, teachers should make it clear to students in
which areas accuracy is expected and to what extent.
According to McDonough and Shaw (2003), pronunciation is taught in a
variety of ways and for a variety of reasons. Teachers may devote entire lessons
to it, or they may simply deal with it as it happens. Some teachers enjoy
"drilling" accurate pronunciation patterns, while others are more concerned with
their pupils' ability to comprehend within fluency (p.136). Since there is no
10


uniform pattern for teaching pronunciation, the process of teaching
pronunciation is entirely dependent on the teacher. Some teachers adopt a
"bottom up" approach, in which pupils work on forming and hearing sounds as
accurately as possible. Pronunciation, on the other hand, is seen as part of a
broader communication approach in "Top down" learning (McDonough &
Shaw, 2003, p. 136).
Correct vocabulary selection is also critical for effective speaking. The
objective of vocabulary instruction, according to Richards (1976, p. 88), ‘the
goals of vocabulary teaching must be more than simply covering a certain
number of words on a word list. Then teachers must look into how teaching
techniques can help realize the concept of what it means to know word.
Vocabulary had for some time been one area of the syllabus where this link
between approach, method and technique has been neglected’. When dealing
with elementary school students, teachers should teach them some common
words because they will require those terms in their speech. Otherwise, kids will
struggle to find appropriate words when communicating. As a result, their
speaking accuracy and fluency may be impaired.
Fluency
The capacity to talk fluently and accurately is defined as fluency. A

moderately fast rate of speech and a small number of pauses are signs of
fluency. The ease and rapidity with which speech flows is referred to as fluency
(Harris, 1974). When speaking, fluency refers to the ease with which sounds,
syllables, words, and sentences are connected. It means that when one person
has a conversation with another, the other person can answer quickly and
effectively.
In Richards et all (1993, pl41-142), fluency refers to the level of
communication proficiency which 'includes (a) the ability to produce written
and or spoken language with ease, (b) the ability to speak with good but not
11


necessarily perfect command of intonation, vocabulary and grammar, (e) the
ability to produce continuous speech without causing comprehension difficulties
or a breakdown of communication’. Students must be familiar with a variety of
tactics, including the use of common expression, the use of natural-sounding
incomplete' sentences, explanation, and useful structures when beginning or
ending a conversation.
1.2.1.3. Teaching speaking in a classroom
Teachers give close attention to teaching this skill because they recognize the
value of learning English, particularly speaking skills. Therefor, learners can
practice the language in the classroom on a regular basis by participating in
various activities. As a result, teachers are in charge of planning activities that
encourage students to interact with one another.
O'Malley & Pierce (1996) argue that different speech patterns across
activities are appropriate at different proficiency levels. As a result, teachers
should provide many opportunities for learners to practice in the classroom at all
levels so that they can encounter circumstances for themselves, resulting in the
development of a natural speaking reflex. Learning and speaking goals can both
be met through practice activities. Practice activities, according to Richard and

Lockhart (1996), are tasks that are utilized to accomplish sentence patterns.
They also claim that using a variety of tasks in language teaching makes
language teaching more communicative because it gives classroom activity a
purpose. Furthermore, students must actively use the language with proper
grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation in order to develop speaking skills. As
a result, fluency and accuracy are critical parts of classroom interactions that
must be developed.
To

activate

their

speaking

abilities,

students

must

participate

in

communication situations while learning to talk. In the classroom, Ur (1996)
offers the following speaking activities:
12

a. Use group work
b. Works based on easy to understand language
c. Carefully choose topics and tasks to spark interest
d. Give some guidance or training on discussion skills
e. Keep students speaking the target language
The researcher used group work activities in this study in the hopes of
increasing contact among learners, allowing them to gain confidence in speaking
and improve their skills. Topics are carefully chosen to spark learners' attention
and encourage a lot of conversation among group members. To achieve these
objectives, the topics chosen should not be too difficult for them to understand,
as this will deter them from participating in the discussion.
1.2.2. Theoretical background of group-work
1.2.2.1. Definitions of group work.
Group work is considered one of the important factors to improve learners’
communication. Different individuals have developed many approaches to
group work over the last time. Group work is defined by Johnson, Johnson and
Smith (1991, p15) as “group work, in language class, is a co- operative activity,
during which students share aims and responsibilities to complete a task
assigned by the teacher in groups or in pair”.
It is said that, in group work, students learn to listen to different ideas, learn
to discuss and to negotiate. They take part in equally and sometimes they feel
comfortable to experiment and speak the language. Every member has more
opportunities for independence and they can have some learning decisions.
Brown (2000: 3) proposes the following straightforward definition of groups: 'A
group exists when two or more persons identify as members of it and at least
one other person recognizes its existence’. To put it another way, a group
becomes a 'group' when it has become a psychological reality for both insiders

13

and outsiders. Of course, we might strive to provide a more detailed and
descriptive definition.
Cohen (2014: 66) defines group work as: ‘Students working together in a
group small enough so that everyone can participate on a clearly assigned
learning task. Moreover, students are expected to carry out their task without
direct and immediate supervision of the teacher. Group work is not the same as
ability grouping, in which the teachers divide up the class by academic criteria
so that they can instruct a more homogeneous group. It should also be
distinguished from small groups that teachers compose for intensive instruction,
such as the flexible and temporary grouping procedures often used in
individualized reading instruction or differentiated instruction.’
"The teacher divides the class into small groups to work together, usually
four or five students in each group," according to Doff (1998). Killen (2006)
goes on to say that "When two or more students are asked to work together in a
group, this is known as group work. Johnson (2012) claims that "In a language
class, group work is a cooperative activity in which students share goals and
duties in order to fulfill a task set by the teacher. In general, group work is
defined as a process in which two or more learners collaborate to complete a
task that requires cooperation as well as self-generated language (Brown, 2001:
Doff. 1998).
Why use group work in language teaching? It is obvious that in order to
maximize learning chances in your classroom, student instructors should engage
in collaborative learning and help one another, rather than learning on their own.
According to research, group work is one of the most effective approaches to
improve learning results. After reviewing a large amount of material, Slavin and
colleagues (1995) came to the conclusion that "cooperative learning is one of the
greatest success stories in the history of modern research." Motivation, social
cohesiveness, personalization, and cognitive elaboration appear to be the four
14

key factors for its accomplishment. Students must be willing to help one another
if they are to receive the assistance they require, especially in a large class.
Students teaching other students can be unexpectedly effective: in one research,
students learnt almost as much from peer tutoring as they did from one-on-one
instruction from their teacher, presumably because they are less afraid to ask
questions of a peer. Informal learning groups, formal learning groups, and study
teams are the three types of group work identified by Davis (1993).
A transient clustering of pupils inside a single class session is known as
an informal learning group. Students can form informal learning groups by
asking them to turn to their neighbors and spend two minutes discussing the
teacher's question. To address the problem, the teacher can organize a group of
three to five students. Informal groups can be formed at any time in a class of
any size to check for understanding, provide an opportunity for students to apply
what they've learned, or provide a change of pace.
Formal learning groups are groups formed to accomplish a specified goal,
such as conducting a lab experiment, writing a report, or completing a project.
This group may complete their tasks in a single class session or over a period of
several weeks. Students usually collaborate until the activity is completed and
the project is graded.
Study teams are long-term groups (typically lasting a semester) with a
consistent

membership

whose

primary

goal

is

to

provide

support,

encouragement, and aid to members in completing course requirements and
assignments. Study groups have a larger purpose. They can last a semester or
multiple semesters. Because she wanted to change members of groups every
meeting, the researcher chose the first category, "informal leaning groups," as
the focus of her study. She reasoned that working with new members in new
areas would rejuvenate everyone and provide an opportunity for them to learn
from a variety of sources.
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1.2.2.2.The principles to organize a successful group work in speaking class
a. The preparation steps
Group work can be successful if everything is well prepared; as a result,
the preparatory processes are critical to the group's success. Andrewes (2003)
outlines the following steps:
Step 1: Plan for each stage of group activities
When planning lessons for each class, teachers should consider whether
topics lend themselves to informal group work. They must consider how they
will organize students into groups, assist groups, provide feedback to groups,
and assess the outcome of group work.

Step 2: Give clear and short instruction
Teachers must clearly explain how group activities will work, what the
goals of this group task are, and whether they offer any assignments to pupils.
Aside from a well-designed activity, each group requires a mechanism to get
started, a way to know when the activity is completed, and some advice on who
should participate.
Step 3: Provide the necessary input
Students need particular input, such as language and structure, to work
well in groups; therefore, teachers should prepare necessary materials for
students' activities. According to Sheil (1993), most students frequently feel as if
they have nothing to say on the issue, which will obstruct their communication
and make them feel inhibited or less confident to talk. As a result, teachers must
support students in coming up with ideas through brainstorming and pre-teach
useful vocabularies and structures.
b. Designing group work activities
The friendly atmosphere in which students can learn from and aid one
another is a well-known benefit of group work. A good group task, according to
Andrewes (2003), appears like this:
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Create group tasks that require interdependence
Teachers must design group assignments that necessitate interdependence
and composition among groups while designing group tasks. According to
Johnson and Smith (1991), students in a group must believe that they are sinking
and swimming together, that each member is responsible for and dependent on
the others, and that no one can succeed unless the entire group succeeds.
Specifying shared benefits for the group, encouraging students to split labor, and
devising activities that push students to reach a consensus are all strategies for
developing interdependence.

Make the group activities relevant
According to Johnson and Smith (1991), students must see group exercises as
important to the course objectives rather than as busywork. Make assignments
that are appropriate for the pupils' skills and abilities. At the start of the
semester, teachers should set relatively simple tasks. Pellowe claims that (1996).
Students must increase the difficulty level of planning activities as their
knowledge grows.
c. Steps of organizing group activities
Harmer (1999) divides group-work activities into three steps: before
activities, during activities, and after activities.
Before activities
The teacher instills enthusiasm in the students for the task. They must
comprehend what they will be doing and be given an estimate of when they will
be finished with the assignment they will be working on. The most critical
aspect of instructions is that pupils comprehend and agree on the goal. The
teacher may ask them to repeat the instructions or, in monolingual classes, to
translate them into their first language to ensure that they understand them.
During activities

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While the pupils are working, the teacher can help them with their
knowledge and any problems they may be having with the group. He or she can
also stand in the front, side, rear, or anyplace else in the room) and keep an eye
on what is going on, noting who or which group appears to be stuck or
disengaged. The teacher decides to assist that particular group.
After activities
When groups cease to collaborate, the teacher must coordinate feedback.
The teacher can allow children to talk about what happened, make their own

assessments, and make corrections. It is critical that the teacher assesses not only
the entire group's work but also each individual in the group. It's important to
remember that giving students positive criticism on their work can help them
stay motivated in the future. The teacher's comment on language errors is merely
one aspect of that process.
d. Group formation
The development of groups is a key aspect in fostering healthy interdependence.
While the teacher divides his courses into pairs and small groups, various
aspects should be considered, according to Richards and Rodgers (2001: 196):
• When it comes to group size, most groups are between two and four
people. This will be determined by the tasks the pupils must complete,
their age, and the time allotted.
• Assigning students to groups: groups can be formed by a teacher, at
random, or by students.
• Suggestions for student roles in groups: Each member of the group has a
distinct role to play, such as noise monitor, recorder, or summarizer.
Small groups can be formed in three ways: at random, by the teacher, or by the
students. Students can be grouped at random to guarantee that they engage with
various people throughout the semester. Teacher-selected groups can be
effective for grouping weak and strong students, students with common
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