Docsity Lesson 7 The Classroom Organization

Lesson 7 -The Classroom
Organization-
Idioma Inglés
Universitat d'Alacant (UA)
15 pag.
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Lesson 7. The classroom organization.
The student’s learning needs.
The pair and group work.
The error analysis and its prevention:
feedback strategies, correction and elicitation.
I. Introduction
II. The Classroom: a place for communication
• Classroom language
• Non-verbal communication in the classroom
III. Sequencing language work in the classroom.
IV. Giving instructions and feedback.
V. Groupings.
VI. The teacher’s role.
VII. Misbehaviour and Physical setting of the classroom.

I. INTRODUCTION
The teaching and learning of English as a Foreign Language is carried out in a

specific context characterised by the regular meeting under certain conditions of
a teacher and a number of children. These are occasions for interaction, since
all classroom procedures have to be verbalised. It is sadly common that English
is not generally the language of interaction in our Primary classrooms; this fact
is due to a feeling of insecurity in some teachers, or perhaps to the perceived
pressure for efficient covering of syllabus content –since using the L1 makes
things easier and faster for everybody- the fact is that lack of L2 interaction in
the classroom is a crucial factor in the high failure rate of Foreign Language
learners. A suitable remedy would involve the explicit training of teachers for
the linguistic demands of the classroom situation so that a much larger part of
that interactions is regularly carried out in the L2.
II. THE CLASSROOM: A PLACE FOR COMMUNICATION
A. Classroom Language:
The foreign language classroom is a good context for real communication to

take place, and English may be used in it for a variety of purposes. No matter
how intense the use of the Foreign Language may be in the classroom, there
will always be a role for the L1, ideally a complementary one. For an
acceptable input to be provided in the Foreign Language, it is necessary that
this is contextualized, repeated and varied.

However, the Foreign Language primary classroom is a communicative
context which is not taken full advantage of. This is unfortunate, since:
it is possible to use L2 for all the transactions;

the classroom situation is a concrete, genuine situation in itself;
the English used in the classroom is directly transferable to other real-
world situations;
the English used by the teacher in the FL classroom is a source of real
input for children.
As we have seen, it is possible to use English in the classroom for a

variety of purposes: presenting language, checking understanding, clarifying
doubts, giving instructions, modelling, setting up activities, providing extensive
language input, giving feedback, asking for information and providing examples
of L2 use.
In relation to the presence of L1 in the Foreign Language classroom, it

must be taken into account that there are moments at which L2 cannot fulfil the
communicative need of either the teacher or the children; it is clearly the time to
turn to L1. Therefore, there are some possible reasons for L1 use in the Foreign
Language classroom:
1. When full understanding is essential, it may save valuable time

to use L1.
2. In the early stages of L2 learning in primary education, a learner
may be stressed and may need to be shown sympathy and a
positive reinforcement.
3. In the early stages, interaction could be kept in L2 from teacher
to children and in L1 the other way round.
Finally, Learners need continuous and prolonged exposure to the

language before they feel confident in its use; therefore, teachers should use
the same language again and again, and avoid introducing variation until
children have no difficulty with the original expressions. It is essential to make

children familiar with frequently used language, like ready-made phrases in L2
that children can use in the appropriate situation, such as asking for permission
for frequent actions: “Can I ask for a pencil?”; “Can I use the dictionary?”; “Can I
go to the toilet?”; “Can I use a different colour?”; etc.
B. Non-verbal communication in the classroom:
Gestures and facial expressions are an essential part of face-to-face interaction

which contribute to convey what we want to say. The expressive use of mime,
gesture and facial expression is an unambiguous and somewhat exaggerated
way is one of the abilities that effective primary school teachers tend to draw
upon most frequently in their classes.
In the FL classroom, gesture, facial expression and mime can be used:

to help to clarify the linguistic input (this is particularly important when
teaching beginners or near-beginners);
to reinforce the meaning of instructions and provide information on
activities through a different channel to the auditory;
to reduce verbal explanations;
to attract the students’ attention.
Moreover, modulating voice quality in appropriate ways and eye-contact can be

extremely important to help the Foreign Language teacher with classroom
management.

III. SEQUENCING LANGUAGE WORK IN THE CLASSROOM:
PRESENTATION, PRACTICE AND PRODUCTION.
A traditional way of organising language work in the Foreign Language

classroom has long been the PPP approach (presentation, practice,
production). Each stage in this linear sequence entails differences in the
teacher’s and learners’ roles, in the activity focus and in the instructional aim.
Presentation Practice Production

Who controls the Teacher Students and teacher Student
lesson?
Instructional Exposure, noticing Accuracy Fluency
focus and understanding
Activity focus Meaning and form Form Meaning
Learner’s role Perceive, process Manipulate Communicate

and understand
Teacher’s role Transmit and check Monitor and correct Facilitate and guide
comprehension
1. Presentation:
At the presentation stage, primary language teachers introduce new language
items (words, structures and sounds) by identifying, repeating and manipulating
such items. Besides, the teacher needs to make the input comprehensible,
motivate the students to take in the new language and create a context in which
students perceive the need for the language before it is presented. As soon as
possible at this stage, the teacher should adopt a cyclical approach and
integrate previously taught material.
Through a variety of teaching techniques, teachers lead the learners to

direct their attention to the form in focus. At the beginning and the end of this
stage, however, students should be exposed to a natural, standard model of the
new language.

Teachers may wish to consider at the presentation stage of a teaching
sequence:
a. using a variety of visual and auditory aids (e.g. picture flashcards,
real objects, electronic presentations, puppets, recordings of
noises, etc.).
b. choosing relevant and interesting context to introduce the
language.
c. ways of encouraging learners’ participation by getting them to
respond non-linguistically as they listen (“Hands up when you
hear…”, “Clap your hands when you hear…”, “Hold up the
flashcard when you hear the word…”)
d. presenting new language items gradually.
2. Practice:
Before the learners are able to use the language freely, teachers need to
provide them with ample opportunities to practice. At the practice stage, the
teacher usually proceeds from providing controlled manipulation of the
language to a more guided production.
Repetition and drilling (first as a group and then individually) together

with correction by the teacher –all common features in this phase- aim to shape
the language produced by the students so that it conforms to the model
provided by the teacher. The instructional focus is, therefore, on accuracy
(correct pronunciation, word order, word choice and/or linguistic form). At this
stage, teachers may need to insist on the auditory and articulatory components
of the linguistic forms (e.g. by asking children to close their eyes as they listen
to the model they are asked to repeat, teachers can facilitate the children’s
concentrating on how language sounds; and by asking them to guess the word
the teacher silently articulates they will pay attention to the mouth movements).
Once the teacher has supplied learners with highly controlled practice, he/she
will move on to guided practice where students have a choice in the language
used from the range of new language. This part of the instructional cycle ends
when almost all the students are able to produce the target structure or
vocabulary without prompting.

Teachers may wish to consider at the practice stage of a teaching
sequence:
a. asking to repeat, drill or practice to the whole class first, then to groups
(“Now girls”, “Now children on my left”, “Now children wearing trousers”)
and finally to individuals;
b. varying repetition, drilling or practice by asking children to say things
loudly, quietly, quickly, slowly, imitating the teacher, etc. so as to
maintain their concentration on the task;
c. using graded questions: yes/no questions (Is this a horse?; Can you
swim?; Is this an verb?), alternative questions (Is this a horse or a cow?;
Is the cat on the table or under the table?), and open questions (What’s
this?; How do you come to school?; How many apples are there on the
table?).
3. Free practice and production:

At the production stage of the PPP model, the learners’ attention is
diverted away from form by means of a freer, less controlled practice where the
focus is primarily on communication and meaning. Activities where attention to
form is ‘distracted’ by the need to produce and process language in real time
are required at this stage which is primarily concerned with the development of
fluency. Pair and group activities (such as class surveys on classmates’ likes,
abilities, habits, etc.) in which students mingle with other pupils and repeatedly
ask the same formulaic question demand the fluent use of the language that
facilitates automatisation. The teacher’s role during this type of activities is to
monitor the learner’s performance and check that communication is actually
taking place.
As the teacher monitors the activity, it may be useful for the teacher to
write down errors that seem common to most of the class for revising or
recycling later (correcting the learners while the activity is in progress can be
very demotivating for them).

IV. GIVING INSTRUCTIONS AND FEEDBACK
The quality of the information teachers provide students with in order to carry
out learning tasks in the Foreign Language classroom greatly influences the
success or failure of a lesson. As some studies have shown, the result of
unplanned, badly organised, and exclusively verbally-based instructions is
students’ confusion, lack of understanding and poor performance. Therefore,
there are several steps and strategies in better instruction-giving which should
be followed:
1. Become aware of your instruction-giving strategies.

2. Prepare instructions.
3. Attract the students’ attention.
4. Use simple, easy-to-understand language.
5. Involve the senses: illustrations, realia, gestures, mimes, sounds, etc.
6. Be brief.
7. Demonstrate and give examples
8. Get feedback for the students
As more and more emphasis is placed on learner-centred approaches to

Foreign Language learning, feedback to the learner is considered an
increasingly central factor in that learning process, since it contributes to the
learner’s capacity to make the right decision about their own learning. The
teacher’s feedback to the students should not be restricted to comments on
progress and levels of attainment, but there is a full range of other purposes:
1. Giving praise and encouragement;

2. Correcting production;
3. Supporting assessment;
4. Having discussions about group progression;
5. Giving individual tutorials.

V. GROUPINGS:
LOCKSTEP, PAIR WORK, TEAMWORK, INDIVIDUAL STUDY.
When we design activities, one of the most important issues to consider is the
type of pupil groupings we are going to use. If we only use one type of grouping
(normally the whole class), we are wasting valuable opportunities for our pupils
to get maximum practice and for the teaching/learning process to be, therefore,
more efficient and communicative.
We now consider the merits and uses of various pupil groupings. Jeremy
Harmer distinguishes between: lockstep, pair work, group work and individual
study.
Lockstep
Lockstep is the class grouping where all the pupils are working with the teacher.
In traditional teaching environments, lockstep was the normal situation.
However, it is also used in communicative approaches, specially in the
presentation and practice stage.
This grouping has certain advantages. First, we can say that the whole
class are or should be concentrating and hearing what is being said. Our pupils
are getting a good model as they are listening to us or to the tape recorder, and
we can move the class at a fast pace.
On the other hand, we can also find some drawbacks. First, pupils
working in lockstep don’t practice very much. Another problem is the lack of
heterogeneity of lockstep. Lockstep usually goes at the wrong speed. Some
pupils will find it very quick, while others will be bored. A final problem we face
is the lack of effectiveness as far as communicative work is concerned. Our
pupils won’t be able to use language in real life situations if the only practice
they get is in lockstep, teacher-controlled interactions. Lockstep doesn’t foster
autonomous learning, and the only kind of communication is from the teacher
to the learners.

But these disadvantages cannot make us forget that lockstep has its
place in the foreign language classroom. As we can get the whole class’
attention, we must use it when feedback is taking place or before doing some
pair or group work so that all our pupils can listen to the instructions.
Pair work
Pupils can be put in pairs for a great variety of work. It has obvious advantages:
- It increases the amount of pupil’s practice.
- Pair work allows our pupils to use language and it also encourages
pupils’ co-operation.
During pair work, teachers normally act as assessors, prompters and resources,
leaving our pupils to work on their own. We thus foster autonomous learning.
However, certain problems may occur.
On the one hand, we are worried about the use of Spanish in the
activities. This won’t be a problem if they are motivated to use English and we
explain our pupils the purpose of the activity. Our main concern is not accuracy;
communicative efficiency and fluency are also vitally important and pair work
encourages such communicative abilities.
Noise problems may also arise when pair work is used with our pupils. It
is important to familiarize them with pair work at the beginning of the year by
giving them very short, simple tasks to perform. This can be done by means of
pair work drills or asking and answering questions, and using language that has
just been presented.
We also have to decide how to group our pupils in pairs. We must decide
whether to put strong pupils with weak pupils or whether to vary the
combination of the pairs from class to class. There is no conclusive evidence
about the ideal combination for pairs, so we can make our decision based on
every particular class.
10

To sum up, we can say that pair work is a way of increasing pupils’
participation and language use. Therefore, it is used in the practice and
production stage.
Group/team work
Group work seems to be an extremely attractive idea for a number of reasons.
First, we can mention the increase in the amount of pupils’ talking time. It also
gives pupils opportunities to use language to communicate with each other and
to co-operate.
On the other hand, group work is more DYNAMIC than pair work: our
pupils are faced with more people to react with or against in a group. There is
also a greater chance that at least one member of the group will be able to
solve a problem, when it arises. Because of this fact, working in groups is
usually more relaxing than pair work. Moreover, tasks can be more complex
and, therefore, more exciting and motivating than pair work tasks.
In group work, the teachers find the same worries that apply to pair work,
that is, the use of Spanish and noise. Motivation, clearly defined goals and
previous adjustments to this type of grouping are the solutions to these
problems.
One of the biggest problems is the selection of group members. One

possibility is to group weak and strong pupils mixed together. However,
sometimes it may be interesting to make groups of strong pupils and groups of
weak pupils and give them different tasks to perform.
As far as the size is concerned, the biggest size we can have is half
class. This type of grouping is called team. Teams are not very frequently used
because the amount of pupil participation obviously falls. However, we can use
them in competitive activities in which it is convenient to split the class in two
units.
11

It is also convenient to have an odd number in groups when decision
activities are being done. In general, groups with no more than 6 pupils, with or
without an odd number of members are used.
Moreover, it is a good idea to form FLEXIBLE GROUPS. Our pupils start

in set groups and as the activity progresses the original group split up and
reform. We can also begin with the individual or pair work. Gradually these
groupings are joined together till we form a group, a team or even a whole class
grouping.
However, if we use flexible groups it is advisable to have FIXED groups

for the whole year. Our children will identify more easily with the group
Individual study
Individual study is a good idea because our pupils can relax from outside
pressure and because they can rely on themselves. Our pupils need some time
on their own to fully internalize what they are learning. Ideally, if the conditions
of our classroom and the materials we use permit, there would be stages at
which our pupils could have a choice of different individual activities. Various
reading and writing activities are particularly appropriate for this. When planning
our classes we must take this factor into consideration.
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VI. THE TEACHER’S ROLE
As we have already seen, our methodology is going to be communicative and

we will find ourselves playing many roles. Jeremy Harmer distinguishes six
main roles for the teacher in the classroom:
- CONTROLLER: we play the role of controller when we are totally in

charge of the class. We control what our pupils do, when they speak and
what language they use. This role is clearly visible at the presentation
stage, being wholly inappropriate during the production stage.
- ASSESSOR: one of the main roles we must play is that of assessing the
pupils’ work. We can distinguish between correcting (during the
presentation and practice stage we normally correct our pupils’ errors
and mistakes) and organizing feedback, which is a major part of
assessing our pupils’ performance so that they can see the extent of their
success or failure.
- ORGANISER: the success of many activities depends on good

organization and on the pupils knowing exactly what they are going to
do. Once the activity has begun, we will not intervene unless it is to use
gentle correction or, as we will see now, to prompt.
- PROMPTER: we sometimes need to encourage our pupils to participate

or we may need to make suggestions about how our pupils may proceed
in an activity where there is a silence or our pupils are confused.
- PARTICIPANT: Especially in simulations, it may be interesting for us to

participate with our pupils in the activity. If we don’t tend to dominate, we
are giving our pupils an opportunity to practice English with someone
who speaks it better than they do.
13

- RESOURCE: in communicative activities we should be a kind of
resource centre. We should be ready when our pupils need help. This
help should only be given when a previous effort has been made by our
pupils.
VII. MISBEHAVIOUR
AND PHYSICAL SETTING OF THE CLASSROOM
A. MISBEHAVIOUR:
An area of classroom management which has an important effect on the
classroom atmosphere and the amount of learning which takes place concerns
discipline and classroom control. The most effective environment for learning is
found in a classroom where the teacher is firm, but kind and encouraging at the
same time.
In fact, the teacher’s behavior is perhaps the single most important factor
in a classroom. There are some things that teachers should probably not do if
they want to avoid problems:
- Do not go to class unprepared
- Do not be inconsistent
- Teachers should not make idle threats which we cannot or would not
carry out
- Do not rise our voice
- Do not give boring classes
- Do not be unfair, a sense of failure engenders negative feelings and low
self esteem.
B. PHYSICAL SETTING OF THE CLASSROOM:

Careful planning of our classroom is very important as it helps to create an
ORGANISED AND SECURE ATMOSPHERE. In an ideal situation, we would be
able to organize the classroom in the way we think is most effective for
children’s learning. Here are some points to consider:
14

- A plan made to scale is especially useful if we have a large class in a
small area.
- We have to think carefully about whether we want the children to sit in
rows or groups. Primary schools often have tables arranged in groups to
seat 4-6 children, which makes pair and group work easier.
- If we decide to have a “teaching base”, we have to make sure we have a
clear view of the whole room.
- A story corner for young children is also a good idea. A book corner
where children can select stories or simply information books to read is
also useful. The books could be colour-coded, according to difficulty, so
that the children can select books for themselves or with our guidance.
- We may also like to include a quiet corner for listening to cassettes of
stories or pre-recorded listening activities.
- It is also suitable to include some areas to display children’s work.
Children should be encouraged to display their work. Displays make the
classroom brighter and more colorful, encourage a purposeful working
atmosphere and usually lead to higher motivation and standards since
the children’s work is made public and they see what they have already
achieved.
15


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The teaching and learning of English as a Foreign Language is carried out in a

II. THE CLASSROOM: A PLACE FOR COMMUNICATION

The foreign language classroom is a good context for real communication to

Document shared on www.docsity.com

it is possible to use L2 for all the transactions;

As we have seen, it is possible to use English in the classroom for a

In relation to the presence of L1 in the Foreign Language classroom, it

1. When full understanding is essential, it may save valuable time

Finally, Learners need continuous and prolonged exposure to the

Document shared on www.docsity.com

B. Non-verbal communication in the classroom:

Gestures and facial expressions are an essential part of face-to-face interaction

In the FL classroom, gesture, facial expression and mime can be used:

Moreover, modulating voice quality in appropriate ways and eye-contact can be

Document shared on www.docsity.com

A traditional way of organising language work in the Foreign Language

Presentation Practice Production

Learner’s role Perceive, process Manipulate Communicate

Through a variety of teaching techniques, teachers lead the learners to

Document shared on www.docsity.com

Repetition and drilling (first as a group and then individually) together

Document shared on www.docsity.com

3. Free practice and production:

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1. Become aware of your instruction-giving strategies.

As more and more emphasis is placed on learner-centred approaches to

1. Giving praise and encouragement;

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Document shared on www.docsity.com

Document shared on www.docsity.com

One of the biggest problems is the selection of group members. One

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Moreover, it is a good idea to form FLEXIBLE GROUPS. Our pupils start

However, if we use flexible groups it is advisable to have FIXED groups

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As we have already seen, our methodology is going to be communicative and

- CONTROLLER: we play the role of controller when we are totally in

- ORGANISER: the success of many activities depends on good

- PROMPTER: we sometimes need to encourage our pupils to participate

- PARTICIPANT: Especially in simulations, it may be interesting for us to

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B. PHYSICAL SETTING OF THE CLASSROOM:

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