LearnEnglishProfessionals

TEACHERTRAININGAUDIOSCRIPT

Listentothistalkbyateachertraineraboutpairworkactivities.

Optionalactivity:
Whileyoulisten,decidewhetherthefollowingsentencesaretrueorfalse.
Sentence Trueorfalse?
1. Pairingthestudentsrandomlyisagoodidea.
2. Theteachershoulddecidewhogoesfirstinpairwork.
3. Teacherscansometimesspendtoomuchtimeorganisinganactivity.
4. Studentsshouldneverbeallowedspeaktheirownlanguageinclass.
5. AskingstudentstomonitoreachothertoensuretheyarespeakingEnglishisa
goodidea.

TT=TeacherTrainer

TT:Right,Ivecometotheendofmytalkbutwestillhavesometimeleftforquestions.Doesanyonehave
anythingtheydliketoaskmeaboutpairwork?
(pause)
TT:Yes?Sandra?
Sandra: Well,Iliketheideaofdoingpairwork,butsometimesitsdifficultknowinghowtoorganiseit,whoto
putwithwhom.
TT:Yes.Thisisverytrue.Buttherearelotsofwaystodealwiththis.Thebestwayistochoosepairsat
random.So,letsimagineyouhave14studentsinyourclass.Firstyougetthemalltostandup.Thenyouwalk
around,pointingandgivingstudentsanumber.Saythingslikeyourenumberone,Anna,yourenumbertwo.
Wheneachstudenthasanumbertheysitdown.Youdothisuntilyouhavegivenoutthenumbersoneto
seven.Thenstartagain.So,youendupwithtwonumberones,twonumbertwosandthenyoujustsayfind
yourpartnerthatllbethepersonwiththesamenumber.
Janet:Andwhataboutwhogoesfirst?WhenIdopairworkactivities,nobodyeverwantstostarttobefirst.
TT:Yes.Thisistypicaltoo.Butagain,therearetricks/techniquesthatyoucanuse.Forexample,Theperson
withthelongesthairgoesfirstorThepersonwithmostlettersintheirnameitdoesntmatterwhatcategory
youuse.WhatsimportantisthatYOUtellthemwhoshouldgofirst.Anddoitstraightaway.Wesometimes
wastealotoftimesettingupanactivityandthendonthaveenoughtimetoactuallydoit!
(pause)
TT:Anymorequestions?Joe?
Joe:Yes.IwaswonderingwhatwecoulddoaboutthestudentswhojustwontspeakinEnglish.Because
sometimesmystudentsjuststartspeakingintheirfirstlanguage.
TT:(laughing)WellJoeyouarecertainlynotaloneinthis.Itsonlynaturalforstudentstospeakintheirfirst
language.Butagaintherearesometricksthatwecanuse.
Joe:Forexample?
TT: Well,onethingthatIusuallyfindworks,istotellyourstudentsthatyouaregoingtogivethemamarkfor
theirspeakingandthatifyoudonthearthemspeakingEnglishthenyoullhavetogivethemazero!Another
trickistochooseacoupleofstudentstobetheEnglishmonitorsandtotellyouwhensomebodyisntspeaking
inEnglish.
Sandra:AndIhaveheardofsometeacherswhogivetheirclassfiveminutesofL1timeatthebeginningofthe
class
TT:Sotheycangetitoutoftheirsystem!
Sandra:Exactly.
TT:Yes.Youcantryanyofthesetricksjustfindtheonethatworksforyouorforyourstudents,Ishould
say.
TT:Now,iftherearenomorequestions,Ireallythinkitstimetofinish.
(Applauding)

Answerkey:
1.False.2.True.3.True.4.False.5.True

www.britishcouncil.org/professionals.htm

TheBritishCouncil,2007

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