AN INVESTIAGTION INTO THE USE OF PAIR WORK AND GROUP WORK ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP SPEAKING SKILLS OF THE FIRST YEAR ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT THE FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES, THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY

DECLARATION
To the best of my knowledge and belief, this minor thesis contains no
material which has previously been submitted and accepted for any other degree in
any university. The thesis is my own work and based on my own research. It
involves no material previously published or written by any other person, except
where due reference is acknowledged in the paper.

Signature:

___________________________

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge and thank my supervisor,
Ms. Tran Hien Lan for her valuable guidance, critical feedback and enormous
encouragement, without which my thesis would be far from completion.
I am also grateful to all the lecturers of the Post-graduate Department,
Vietnam national University, Hanoi, University of Languages and International
Studies for their guidance and enthusiasm during my course.
My sincere thanks go to all my colleagues and my students at Faculty of
Foreign Languages, Thai Nguyen University.
Finally, I would like to express my thanks to my friends who were willing to
help me during the course. In particular, I find myself indebted to my family
especially my husband and my son for their love, care and tolerance when I was in
the process of writing this thesis.

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ABSTRACT
This thesis was carried out to investigate the use of pair work and group
work activities to develop speaking skills for the first year English major students at
the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Thai Nguyen University. It sought the answers to
the following questions:
1. How pair work and group work activities are used to teach the 1 st year English
major students at FFL, TNU?
2. What difficulties do the teachers cope with in using pair work and group work
activities in the speaking class of the 1st year English major students at FFL, TNU?
3. What suggestions are needed to make pair work and group work activities
effective and successful in developing speaking skill for the 1 st year English major
students at FFL, TNU?
Survey questionnaires for teachers and students were employed to find
answers to these three questions. The findings of the research revealed that pair
work and group work were frequently applied in English speaking class with two
main activities that students have to master are discussion and role-play. 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.
It is hoped that this thesis will help other teachers of English be aware of the
benefits of pair work and group work activities and apply them in their teaching
English speaking successfully and effectively.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Declaration................................................................................................................ i
Acknowledgements...................................................................................................ii
Abstract...................................................................................................................iii
Table of contents......................................................................................................iv
Abbreviations.........................................................................................................viii

PART I: INTRODUCTION......................................................................................1
1. Rationale of the study...........................................................................................1
2. Aims of the study...................................................................................................2
3. Scope of the study.................................................................................................2
4. Research questions...............................................................................................3
5. Methods of the study.............................................................................................3
6. Design of the study...............................................................................................3
PART 2: DEVELOPMENT......................................................................................4
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW..................................................................4
1.1. Communicative Language Teaching.................................................................4
1.1.1. Traditional methods of second language teaching........................................4
1.1.2. Communicative language teaching method...................................................5
1.2. The communicative learning process................................................................8
1.3. Pair work and group work...............................................................................10
1.3.1. Definition and description............................................................................10
iv


1.3.2. Common pair work and group work oral activities......................................12
1.3.2.1. Role-play....................................................................................................12
1.3.2.2. Information gap activity............................................................................13
1.3.2.3. Problem solving.........................................................................................13

1.3.2.4. Communication games..............................................................................14
1.3.2.5. Discussion..................................................................................................14
1.3.3. Advantages and disadvantages of using pair work and group work activities
................................................................................................................................. 15
1.3.3.1. Advantages of using pair work and group work activities........................15
1.3.3.2. Disadvantages of using pair work and group work activities...................16
CHAPTER 2: DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF THE STUDY................................19
2.1. Design and methodology.................................................................................19
2.1.1. The setting of the study.................................................................................19
2.1.2. Data collection instrument...........................................................................20
2.1.3. The Participants............................................................................................21
2.1.3.1. The students...............................................................................................21
2.1.3.2. The teachers...............................................................................................21
2.2. Presentation and discussion of the results......................................................22
2.2.1. Students’ survey............................................................................................22
2.2.1.1. Students’ opinions about speaking skills...................................................22
2.2.1.2. Students’ judgments about the use of pair work and group work activities
in English speaking class at FFL - TNU...............................................................23
2.2.1.3. Students’ difficulties when working in pairs/ groups................................27

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2.2.1.4. Students’ desires to learn English speaking skills via pair work and group
work........................................................................................................................ 28
2.2.2. Teachers’ survey............................................................................................31
2.2.2.1. Teachers’ opinions on teaching speaking skills........................................31
2.2.2.2. Teachers’ opinions about the use of pair work and group work activities
to teach English speaking skills.............................................................................32
2.2.2.3. Teachers’ current teaching methods of using pair work and group work

activities in English speaking class........................................................................34
2.2.2.4. Teachers’ difficulties in using pair work and group work activities to
teach English speaking skills.................................................................................37
2.2.2.5. Teachers’ solutions to overcome difficulties in using pair work and group
work activities.........................................................................................................39
CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATION.....................................40
3.1. Findings...........................................................................................................40
3.1.1. How pair work and group work activities are used at FFL – TNU.............40
3.1.2. Difficulties in applying pair work and group work activities.......................42
3.1.2.1. Students’ difficulties...................................................................................42
3.1.2.2. Teachers’ difficulties..................................................................................43
3.1.2.3. Classroom conditions’ difficulties.............................................................44
3.2. Recommendations............................................................................................44
PART 3: CONCLUSION........................................................................................47
1. Summary of the study.........................................................................................47
2. Limitations of the study......................................................................................48
3. Recommendations for further research.............................................................48

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REFERENCE..........................................................................................................49
APPENDIX ………………………………………………………………………..I
SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS.................................................... I
SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS................................................. IV

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

FFL, TNU: Faculty of Foreign Languages, Thai Nguyen University
CLT: Communicative Language Teaching
TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
TEFL: Teaching English as Foreign Language
TESL: Teaching English as a Second Language
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1:Students’opinions about speaking skills
Table 2: Students’ judgments about how they like to practise speaking in English
speaking class at FFL – TNU
Table 3: Students’ judgments about the frequency of their teachers to organize pair
work and group work activities in an English speaking class
Table 4: Students’ judgments about their participation in pair and group work
activities in an English speaking class
Table 5: Students’ judgments about the benefits of pair work and group work
activities to their speaking skills.
Table 6: Students’ difficulties when working in pairs/ groups
Table 7: Students’ desires to learn English speaking skills via pair work and group work
Table 8: Teachers’ opinions about English speaking skills
Table 9: Teachers’ opinions about the use of pair work and group work activities to
teach English speaking skills
Table 10: Teachers’ current teaching methods of using pair work and group work
activities in English speaking class
Table 11: Teachers’ difficulties in using pair work and group work activities to
teach English speaking skills
Table 12: Teachers’ solutions to overcome difficulties in using pair work and group
work activities

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PART I: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale of the study
“Better English, more opportunities” has become a target of most university
students in recent years. English is a useful means they need for their future career
since it equips them with linguistic, social and cultural knowledge and provides
them with access to the modern world in the era of informatics and technology. It is
used as the official language in many powerful and developed countries.
Additionally, it is also considered as the means of communication in a number of
aspects such as business, education, science, and so on. Therefore, English teaching
and learning play an important role in social developing policies in a large number
of countries throughout the world.
In Vietnam, English has been used widely, and becomes the most popular
language in the country. Because of our country’s regional and global participation
in every aspect, the demand for English speaking people has increased. English is
also a compulsory subject to be taught and learned at schools and universities. With
a strategic view to the future, teaching and learning English in recent years are
changing. There have been several international organizations and projects and
teachers who attended TESOL, TEFL, or TESL courses with efforts to introduce
and apply new approaches, methodology and techniques to their teaching of English
nationwide. Methodologically, the methods of English teaching have shifted from
traditional grammar translation approach to communicative approach. New syllabi,
new textbooks which focus on communicative-oriented and learner-centered have
been designed. Therefore, according to the National Foreign Language Project
2020, teachers of English have to improve their capability of communicating
successfully in English. Not to be the exception to the trend, teaching English at the
Faculty of Foreign Languages, Thai Nguyen University (FFL, TNU) is also the
strategic duty of all teachers and students. Although communicative language
teaching is the aim to approach, the process to achieve is quite difficult.
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As a teacher of English at the FFL, TNU, I would like to help my students to
master the language and have an ability to communicate confidently in English.
However, there still remain some questions that how can we cooperate new
approaches with the previous one and how to implement them in class. One of the
effective ways that I often work with students in our speaking class is pair work and
group work. From what I have experienced, this kind of activities has created
chances for students to talk and communicate with each other in English naturally.
For the above reasons, the researcher chose the topic “An investigation into
the use of pair work and group work activities to develop speaking skill of the 1 st
year English major students at FFL, TNU.”
2. Aims of the study
This study aims to:
- Investigate the current situation of using pair work and group work
activities in teaching and learning speaking skill at FFL, TNU.
- Identify the difficulties for the teachers to apply pair work and group work
in the speaking class of 1st year English major students at FFL, TNU.
- Give practical recommendations for the use of pair and group work to
develop speaking skill for 1st year English major students at FFL, TNU.
3. Scope of the study
Teachers can employ a variety of techniques and methods to improve
speaking skill of 1st year students at FFL, TNU. However, the researcher only
intends to examine the current situation of using pair work and group work in
speaking class of 1st year students at FFL, TNU and making some suggestions for
improvement. Additionally, the study is only limited to the 1 st year students at FFL,
TNU, therefore, their opinions about pair work and group work may not be
representative of all students at FFL, TNU in particular and all students learning
English throughout the country in common.

2

4. Research questions
1. How pair work and group work activities are used to teach the 1 st year English
major students at FFL, TNU?
2. What difficulties do the teachers cope with in using pair work and group work
activities in the speaking class of the 1st year English major students at FFL, TNU?
3. What suggestions are needed to make pair work and group work activities
effective and successful in developing speaking skill for 1 st year English major
students at FFL, TNU?
5. Methods of the study
To investigate the situation of the study, the researcher uses the following
methods.
The quantitative method used in this study is survey questionnaire. A survey on the
use of pair work and group work in teaching and studying speaking skill will be
conducted.
6. Design of the study
The study consists of three main parts:
Part 1: Introduction; includes the rationale, aims, scope, research questions,
methods and design of the study.
Part 2: Development; is divided into three chapters.
- Chapter 1: Literature review, reviews some key theories related to the study such
as communicative language teaching, communication learning process, definitions
of pair work and group work along with some common pair work and group work
oral activities. The chapter also mentions advantages and disadvantages of using
pair work and group work.
- Chapter 2: Design and analysis of the research.
- Chapter 3: Findings and recommendations
Part 3: Conclusion

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PART 2: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. Communicative Language Teaching
1.1.1. Traditional methods of second language teaching
How to teach foreign languages always stay at the core of any discussion about
method innovation. Changes in language teaching methods throughout history have
reflected recognition of changes in the kind of proficiency learners need. In the past,
there are two methods applied to teach language, which consists of the GrammarTranslation method and the Audio-Lingual method.
 The Grammar-Translation method: By the late nineteenth century and the
twentieth, the Grammar-Translation method was the primary used to teach
language. This approach based on the study of Latin became the standard
way of studying foreign languages in schools. A typical textbook in the midnineteenth century therefore consisted of chapters or lessons organized
around grammar points. The Grammar-Translation method embraced a wide
range of approach, but, generally speaking, it viewed foreign language study
as a “mental discipline and intellectual development” (Richards and Rodgers,
1986). This kind of approach focused on grammatical analysis and
translation. According to Richards and Rodgers (1986:5), “it hence view
language learning as consisting of little more than memorizing rules and
facts in order to understand and manipulate the morphology and syntax of
the foreign language.” In this method, reading and writing are major focus
and little or no attention is paid to speaking or listening. Students who are
taught in this way do not have chance to practise their speaking and listening.
 The Audio- lingual method: The theory of language underlying Audiolingualism was known as Structural Linguistics, resulted from the World War
4


II and viewed language as “a system of structurally related elements for the

encoding of meaning, the elements being phonemes, morphemes, words,
structures, and sentence types.” The overall goal of the Audio-Lingual
method was to create linguistic competence in learners. Through tapes,
visual aids, the students listened and then repeated several times to memorize
the pronunciation as well as vocabulary. Therefore, just listening and
speaking skills of students could be drilled in a mechanical way.
However, the above two methods only focus on grammar, linguistic competence
and individual learning. Grammar-translation method was based on language study
(grammar, literature) and written exercises (translation) rather than real life
communication and speech. As a result, after several years of studying, students
might have a fairly good knowledge of grammar and translating skills, but could
hardly communicate. The overall goal of the Audio-lingual method was to create
communicative competence in learners. However, it was thought that the most
effective way to do this was for students to “overlearn” the language being studied
through extensive repetition and a variety of elaborate drills. These old methods fell
out of fashion because in recent years, people tend to learn language by
communicating and keep on searching for a new method which is the combination
of the old ones.
1.1.2. Communicative language teaching method
The origins of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) are to be found in
the changes in the British language teaching transition dating from the late 1960s.
According to Richards and Rodgers (1996), the work of the Council of Europe, the
writings of Wilkins (1972), Widdowson, Candlin, Christopher Brumfit, Keith
Johnson, and other British applied linguists on the theoretical basis for a
communicative or functional approach to language teaching. Later on, the rapid
application of these ideas by textbook writers, the equally rapid acceptance of these
new principles by British language teaching specialists, curriculum development
centers, and even governments gave prominence nationally and internationally to
5

what came to be referred to as the Communicative Approach, or Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT).
The communicative approach could be said to be the product of educators
and linguists who had been dissatisfied with the audio-lingual and grammartranslation methods of foreign language teaching. It starts from a theory of language
as communication. The goal of language teaching is to develop what Hymes (1972)
referred to as “communicative competence.” Another theorist frequently studied on
the communicative nature of language is Henry Widdowson. He presented a view of
the relationship between linguistic systems and their communicative values in text
and discourse in his book Teaching Language as Communication (1978).
Widdowson focused on the communicative acts underlying the ability to use
language for different purposes. Authentic language use and classroom exchanges
where students were engaged in real communication with one another became
popular.
Today, language is considered as a dynamic resource for the creation of
meaning. In terms of learning, it is obviously accepted that we need to distinguish
between “learning what” and “knowing how”. To say by other words, it is necessary
for us to distinguish between knowing a variety of grammatical rules and having
capability of using these rules effectively and suitably in communication. No longer
being considered as passive, learners are seen as active participants in the
negotiation of meaning. Communicative language teaching makes use of real life
situations that need communication. It provides students with a number of
opportunities to use communicative purposes. The teacher builds up a situation that
students may encounter in real life; therefore, it is familiar and useful for them to
learn purposefully. Unlike the audio-lingual method of language teaching, which
depends much on repetition and drills, the communicative approach can make
students react and response to the various class exercises. The real life simulations
change from day to day, so students’ motivation to learn comes from their desire to
communicate in meaningful ways about meaningful topics.
6

In this book Communicative Language Teaching Today (2006), Richards
points out that in recent years, language learning has been viewed from a different
perspective. It is seen as resulting from processes such as:
 Interaction between the learner and users of the language
 Collaborative creation of meaning
 Creating meaningful and purposeful interaction through language
 Negotiation of meaning as the learner and his or her interlocutor arrive at
understanding
 Learning through attending to the feedback learners get when they use the
language
 Paying attention to the language one hears (the input) and trying to
incorporate new forms into one’s developing communicative competence
 Trying out and experimenting with different ways of saying things
According to Littlewood, there are four domains of skill which makes up a
person’s communicative competence, which must be recognized in foreign language
teaching:
 The learner must attain as high a degree as possible of linguistic competence.
That is, he must develop skill in manipulating the linguistic system, to the
point where he can use it spontaneously and flexibly in order to express his
intended message.
 The learner must distinguish between the forms he has mastered as part of
his linguistic competence and the communicative functions, which they
perform. In other words, items mastered as part of a linguistic system must
also be understood as part of a communicative system.
 The learner must develop skills and strategies for using language to
communicative meaning as effectively as possible in concrete situations. He
must learn to use feedback to judge his success and if necessary, remedy
failure by using different language.

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 The learner must become aware of the social meaning of language forms. For
many learners, this may not entail the ability to vary their own speed to vary
their own speed to suit different social circumstances but rather the ability to
use general acceptable forms and avoid potential offensive ones.
(Littlewood, 1981:6)
When discussing communicative language teaching, Nunan (1991:279)
offers five features to characterize communicative language teaching:
 An emphasis on learning to communicate through interaction in the target
language
 The introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation
 The provision of opportunities for learners to focus, not only on languages
but also on the learning process itself
 An enhancement of the learner’s own personal experiences as important
contributing elements to classroom learning
 An attempt to link classroom language learning with language activation
outside the classroom
Due to these outstanding characteristics, communicative language teaching
has been widely applied for language teaching and learning. Today it has
become a priority in the determination of method of teaching and learning
foreign language.
1.2. The communicative learning process
The learning process in general and the communicative learning process in
particular are made through activities.
According to Littlewood (1981: 86) reflects a sequence of activities
represented as follow:

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Structural activities
Pre-communicative activities
Quasi – communicative activities

Functional communicative activities
Communicative activities
Social interaction activities

Pre-communicative activities are “learner was not engaged in activities
where his main purpose was to communicate meanings effectively to a partner.
Rather, his main purpose was to produce certain language forms in an acceptable
way.” (Littlewood, 1981:16) In this kind of activities, the teachers isolate specific
elements of knowledge on skill, which compose communicative ability and provide
learners with opportunities to practise them separately. The learners; therefore, are
being trained in the part-skills of communication rather than practicing the total
skill to be acquired. They are subdivided into structural activities and quasicommunicative activities. The first sub-division focuses on the grammatical system
and on the ways in which linguistic items can be combined. On the other hand, the
second sub-division is made to help learner relate forms and structures to
communicative functions, specific meanings and social context. Littlewood also
points out that the aim of Pre-communicative activities is providing learners with a
fluent command of the linguistic system, without requiring them to use this system
for communicative purpose. Accordingly, the main purpose of learners is to produce
language which is acceptable, which means sufficiently accurate or appropriate
rather than to communicate meanings effectively.
9


Unlikely, communicative activities are those in which “the learner has to

activate and integrate his pre-communicative knowledge and skills in order to use
them for the communication of meanings” (Littlewood, 1981:86). In this kind of
activities, the learners engage in practising the total skills of communication. Their
attention is focusing on meanings to be communicated rather than on language
items to be learned. Here again, it is subdivided into functional communicative
activities and social interaction activities. In what to be called “functional
communicative activities”, the learner is placed in a situation where he must
perform a task by communicating as best as he can, with whatever resources he had
available. Contrary to this is “social interaction activities”, the learner is also
encouraged to take account of the social context in which communication takes
place. This kind of activities involves exploiting simulation and role-plays may
consist of exactly the same tasks as functional communicative activities with added
clearly defined social contexts.
To say in short, the final goal of the communicative learning process is to
make learners communicate meanings effectively in different social contexts.
1.3. Pair work and group work
1.3.1. Definition and description
In recent years, it is popular for a lot of teachers to teach language as a means
of communication. The target is to divide the class into pairs and groups where the
number of students in each group is small enough to encourage them to interact
with each other to perform the task given.
 Pair work:
The definitions of pair work have been developed over the years with the
contributions of a great number of linguistics and are brought together by
Adrian Doff (1988: 137): “In pair work, the teacher divides the whole class
into pairs. Every student works with his or her partner in pairs, and all the
pairs work at the same time (it is sometimes called “simultaneous pair
10

work”). This is not the same as “public” or “open” pair work, with pairs of
students speaking in turn in front of the class.”
The definition of pair work in this case is an activity that gives students a
chance to talk to each other practice language together, study a text, research
language or take part in information-gap activities. They can write dialogues,
predict the content of reading texts, or compare notes on what they have
listened or seen.
In general, there are two main types of pair work, fixed pairs and flexible
pairs, suggested by Byrne (1983). The first type is when the students work
with the same partner in order to complete task. In this kind of pairs, they
will deeply understand each other and know the other’s ability. Meanwhile,
the second one is when students keep changing the partners. They can lift
their chairs freely to talk to any partners they like. Therefore, this will make
the activity more interesting.
 Group work
Adrian Doff (1988: 37) also defines group work as a process that “the
teacher divides the class into small groups to work together (usually four or
five students in each group), as in pair work, all the groups work at the same
time.”
Another definition of group work provided by Brumfit (1984: 72) is “group
is often defined as a number of people who interact with one another, who
are psychologically aware of one another and who perceive themselves to be
a group”.
Shaw (1971: 7) and Mill (1967: 2) have a definition about a small group as
“units composed of two or more persons who come into contact for purpose
and who consider the contact meaningful.” In other words, group is seen as a
task-oriented group in which members have a clear perception of the purpose
and goal of the activity. Group is made up of four or five students under the
control of a group leader, whose functions are as the group organizer and as a
11

mini-teacher. Group work depends much on the size of group, the types of
activity, types of lesson and types of desks and chairs in the classroom.
In groups, students can write a group story, role-play a situation, prepare a
presentation, discuss an issue or come to a group decision. They can also
watch, write or perform a video sequence. Obviously, group work is a cooperative activity, during which students share aims and responsibilities, they
have chances for greater independence as they take some of their own
learning decisions, without the teacher controlling every move, and they can
work without the pressure of the whole class listening to that they are doing.
They learn to negotiate, to listen to different opinions and points of view.
Students participate more equally and in most cases, they feel free to
experiment and use the target language.
1.3.2. Common pair work and group work oral activities
There are a variety of pair work and group work activities used in
communicative language teaching. However, this study only discusses some
common pair work and group work to develop oral skills of students as follow:
1.3.2.1. Role-play
Role-play is an activity that the class is usually divided into pairs or groups.
These pairs or groups are given situations and roles to act out. This acting is done
for the sake of the language and imaginative activity, not for exhibition.
According to Richards (2005: 20), role-play is an activity in which students
are assigned roles and improvise a scene or exchanged based on given information
or clues.
Role-play brings some usefulness to students. Firstly, it helps students master
fields of language like vocabulary, structure, pronunciation and intonation more
easily. It also gives students opportunities to practise language in various situations
not only in class but also outside classroom. Additionally, through role-play,
students are trained to deal with the unpredictable nature of language because they
12

act imaginary roles in a lot of situations. Moreover, role-play promotes interaction
in the classroom as well as increase motivation. Role-play is simple to prepare, easy
to play, and along with games and other communicative activities are recommended
to be used in the English speaking class.
1.3.2.2. Information gap activity
An important aspect of communication in CLT is the notion of information
gap. This refers to the fact that in real communication, people normally
communicate in order to get information they do not possess. This is known as an
information gap. According to Underhill (1987), an information gap is an activity
where one student is provided information that is kept from a partner. A lot of
communication involves bridging information gap: you know things I don not
know, and I know things you do not know. Often this is hard for students to do
naturally in class, either because they might not know enough facts or because
everyone knows the same facts. We can simulate the information gap by giving two
participant different information, which they have to share.
Information gap may take three forms:
o One student has some information and the other has to find it by
asking questions
o One student has some information and tells it to the other students
o Both students have different information and they tell each other
1.3.2.3. Problem solving
Byrne (1990) suggests an oral activity for pair work and group work.
Problem solving has been used to group together a wide range of activities that
require students to find “solution” to problems of different kinds. Puzzles,
problems, and brain-teasers can also stimulate meaningful communication if
students work together to solve them. “Although it may be quicker to do this alone,
without distractions, students have to do it with a partner and discuss how to solve
the problems. Students are focused on solving the problems and coming up with the

13


correct solutions, but the purpose of the activity is to make them talk in English. It
doesn’t matter if they cannot get the answers- what matters is that they speak
English.” (Jones, 2007: 36)
Many of these problems involve possesses that we commonly use in real life:
 We frequently hypothesize links between two things (events, actions, people,
etc.)
 We detect difference (real or imaginary)
 We grade things according to criteria (subjective or objective)
Problem solving is believed to be necessary and suited to students of all
levels. Because students are put in some situations that are similar to the real life,
they actively join in the activities because of the feeling that they are doing with
their language, taking the risks of experimenting what they have learned.
Additionally, the lesson can become more practical and attractive to them.
1.3.2.4. Communication games
A game is an activity with rules, a goal and fun. Games help and motivate
students to sustain their interest and work. In the games, learners are free to express
in the target. As a result, they have opportunity to improve their capacity of
speaking, creativity and memory. Their grammatical knowledge and speaking
fluency and accuracy enhance a lot. Also, games often require a great deal of
collaboration among the members of the groups.
1.3.2.5. Discussion
According to Penny Ur (1996), discussion is the most natural and effective
way for students to talk freely in English by thinking out some problems or
situations together through verbal interchange of ideas. The word “discussion” here
includes anything from the simplest questions to the most political and
philosophical debates.

14


Discussion works best in pairs or small groups because then more people can
give their views. In lager groups or in a whole class, once one person has given his
or her view, everyone else can only agree or disagree. (Jones, 2007: 30)
From discussion, students learn something from what is being said or
discussed. Besides, it provides students with interest in learning in a cooperative
atmosphere. When discussion are carried out in groups, students have chance to
exchange their ideas or opinions. They not only speak out their feelings and
attitudes but also listen to what others say. Additionally, the motivation of
participants also improves when they discuss in small group.
1.3.3. Advantages and disadvantages of using pair work and group work activities
1.3.3.1. Advantages of using pair work and group work activities
Brumfit says that pair work and group work are the most effective techniques
of classroom organization which combine aspects of communication learning and
natural interaction in a stress free environment. (Brumfit, 1984:78).
Pair work and group work give students more opportunities to speak English
in classroom. Students participate in the lesson much more actively because they are
involved in talking to their friends exchange opinions, practising new structures
more than listening to their teacher talking. By dividing the class into groups,
students get more chances to talk than in full class organization, thus each student
can say something. Penny Ur recommends that teachers working with larger classes
should divide them into five groups which is the most effective organization for
practising speaking. (Ur, 1996: 232) According to Gorgon, A. (2008), the
advantages of using pair work and group work as follow:
Students may feel less anxious when they are working in a group with a
small number of people. Particularly, timid students find it hard to speak in front of
the class and teacher in their eyes seems to be a fear. They become silent and cannot
open their mouth with an empty mind. However, when participating in pairs or

groups, they maybe find easier to share their opinions naturally. “It is generally
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easier to show that you do not know, or do not understand something, in a smaller
group than in a large one.” (Norman, Levihn and Hedenquist, 1986: 6)
In the long run group work develops student’s independence. At first,
preparing a group or a pair may be time-consuming and requires more effort from
the students. However, sing this technique regularly, students will become more
efficient and skilled at practising the language. They become more confident, their
motivation also increases and they can manage without regular teacher’s
supervision. Students learn how to learn and gradually take responsibility for their
own learning.
Beside practising and consolidating the language, pair work and group work
help to integrate the class. Students learn how to cooperate with one another, make
compromise, negotiate, and respect individual with different abilities and views,
which is important for the class atmosphere and relationship with the teacher.
Instead of sitting alone trying to understand something difficult, they can help each
other. “There is a greater chance that at least one member of the group will be able
to solve a problem when it arises.” (Harmer, 1992: 245) In such a class the teacher
is no longer a supervisor but becomes a resource center and advisor for the students.
“Most people learn a foreign language better with others than on their own.”
(Norman, 1986: 11)
To introduce pair work and group work, teacher brings variety into the
classroom. It enables him to individualize work by preparing different tasks taking
into accounts students’ abilities and potentials. It is advantageous to use group work
with mixed ability classes; when both able and less able students may feel a sense
of achievement while completing the task.
1.3.3.2. Disadvantages of using pair work and group work activities
Gorgon, A. (2008) also points out clearly disadvantages of using pair work

and group work activities as follow:
Some teachers are reluctant to use pair work and group work being afraid of
noise or discipline problems which might occur particularly. Indeed students make
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noise while working on the task; they discuss things, check words and communicate
with one another. However, this is so-called “positive noise” and it does not disturb
the students. They are concentrated on the task and they do not hear it. If an activity
goes on for too long; students, especially the poor ones make noise because they
become bored, they want to get the teacher’s attention and they become disruptive.
Another disadvantage of using pair work and group work activities is the use
of mother tongue. When students get excited working in pairs or groups they
sometimes use their mother tongue to express something they are not able to
express in a foreign language. Such a situation is normal because they want to
communicate.
One of the disadvantages of using pair work and group work activities is
making mistakes. Some teachers neglect to use pair work and group work saying
that students make mistakes trying to express their own ideas. Indeed incorrectness
is a problem yet in real life, it is communicative fluency that matters not accuracy,
so we should not be concerned too much with accuracy if we want to practise oral
skills. According to Doff (1988: 141), when learners work in pairs or groups it is
impossible for the teachers to listen and correct all the mistakes they make and it is
not the purpose of this activity. However, she/he can reduce the number of mistakes
before the students start working by demonstrating the activity to the class first and
by asking pairs or groups to perform in front of the class afterwards and discussing
what they said and pointing out the most common mistakes.
Putting the students into group may be a problem. There is a challenge that if
the teacher divides the class into mixed ability groups, the best students in the group
will have to do the task while the weakest ones switch off and become disruptive.

Teacher therefore should put the students into groups according to their abilities and
each group is given a task right for their level of difficulty. Then the teacher may
monitor the whole class, devote more time to the students who need assistance or
even work with individual students.

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