Group Work in the Oral & Literacy Classrooms

Although it is a perennial aspect of the ESL classroom, group work is frequently implemented as an afterthought: it is a means to an end, a break in the schedule, or a chance for students to let off steam. However, this attitude risks losing the real efficacy of classroom peer interactivity: an opportunity for shared learning. It is only by exploring the reasons as to why the empirical support for a shift from teacher-led to student-led group work is so vehement, that we truly uncover the power of group work in the classroom. Group Work in the Oral and Literacy Classrooms is a workshop that not only explores these reasons but demonstrates how various activities can be implemented, modified, and adapted for both oral and literary activities. The presenters aim to help you augment your own imagination and understanding of group interaction in the best way possible: in a group of your peers.