Look at Ur’s list of patterns of interaction below.

Decide whether each interaction is either

more student-centered or more teacher-centered. Justify your answers.
 
Group work
This kind of interaction is certainly student-centered. When learners work in groups, they
are exposed to enhance their abilities in the target language by building new knowledge
from their mates, making decisions and negotiating meaning during communicative
activities.

Closed-ended teacher questioning

Teacher-centered. In this type of interaction pattern, teachers tend to formulate questions
with only one possible answer and give feedback to their students when necessary.
Although learners may practice and be aware of some language structures, meaningful
interactions do not take place since their answers are limited.

Individual work
This is another type of a student centered interaction since students are required to work
alone on a specific task. Even though the teacher may assist and guide them during the
task, the main role is played by learners because they are responsible of achieving their
language goals at their own pace.

Choral responses
This is a clear example of a teacher-centered interaction pattern. Students’ role is
receptive and passive since they are required to repeat or imitate a model proposed by the
teacher.

Collaboration
This is another example of student centered. The main role is played by learners since
they basically have to join forces and work in pairs or small groups, sharing and
exchanging knowledge in order to achieve a common goal.

Student initiates, teacher answers

Teacher and student centered. Students are encouraged to participate actively by
formulating questions to the teacher, and he/she has the control of the class deciding
which student can participate and ask questions.

Full-class interaction
Although students play the main role in this kind of interaction while debating a topic or
solving a common task with the rest of their classmates, I consider teacher’s role is very
important too since he/she has to serve as a mediator or monitor during the activity that
was proposed for the class.

Teacher talk
This is surely a teacher-centered interaction pattern. Teachers only transmit information to
their students. This can be evidenced in activities such as writing from dictation, making
learners’ role more passive. Plus, interaction among them (students) does not emerge.

Self-access
This kind of interaction is merely student-centered. In this case, students are free to
choose their own learning tasks and what kind of methodologies they are going to use to
achieve their goals in an independent and autonomous way. In other words, they are
responsible for their own learning.
Open-ended teacher questioning
Unlike Closed-ended teacher questioning, open questions give students the possibility to
produce more, since they are encouraged to answer in a natural and creative way. I
consider that teachers and students can interact in equal terms.