Pair or Small Group Project

Method:

1. SS work in pairs or small groups and develop a project idea linked to a topic, which has been agreed on by the whole class. SS could use the allotted free practice time (e.g. 30 minutes) in a series of different lessons to work on their project with their partner or small group, up to a total of, for example, 6 hours. The final goal would be for SS to give a short presentation of their work in English (e.g. 10 mins) and hand in their written work to T for marking.

Here are some examples of project ideas:

The potential project ideas are endless – only limited by the imagination of the class. T should encourage SS to be as creative as possible and to use different media to present their ideas, for example:

  • written work of various kinds, e.g. report, dialogue, advertisement, fiction, etc.
  • music and sound, e.g. song, live music, spoken word, etc.
  • visual arts, e.g. photos, drawings, cartoons, film, TV, etc.
  • performing arts, e.g. drama, dance, ballet, mime, etc.

Of course, SS should use English language while working on their projects with their partners or small groups.

Tips:

  • Project work is a good way for SS to get to know each other better, and is therefore an ideal activity to do early on in a course.
  • If working in a large institution, like a college or university, SS could engage with individuals or groups from other disciplines and enlist them to collaborate on different projects.
  • See also Design Your Own… (p.89) for a more structured approach to group project work.