The Role of Group Work in Enhancing Speaking Skill in Primary Level

The Role of Group Work In Enhancing Speaking Skill In Primary Level

The Role of Group Work in Enhancing Speaking Skill in Primary Level Effective language skills are essential for children to access the curriculum. In the classroom, spoken language is the primary medium through which teachers teach and children learn. In developing their speaking skills, children need to learn to adapt their talk to the listeners; use a range of ways to express themselves; use talk to clarify their ideas and sustain their talk to develop thinking and reasoning. It is expected that when children start primary school, they will be able to understand much of what is said, express themselves clearly, share their feelings and make their needs known. This level of proficiency in speech, language and communication is critical to the development of a child’s cognitive, social and emotional well-being. Speaking should include putting thoughts into words and sharing in groups; taking opportunities to speak at some length to explain ideas in different situations; giving a talk or presentation using gestures, aids and rhetorical devices. This paper will explore the different types of group work and its mechanism of enhancing the speaking skill in the primary level. This will be done through reviewing different research made in this field. The purpose of this paper is to look closely at the importance of group work in the early stages to enhance the speaking skill of students. Group Group work is a very important part of our culture and life; and businesses now look at team work skills when evaluating any employee. Therefore, it is important for both, students and teachers, to learn to function in a group work environment. Research indicates that students learn the tasks better through involving oral interaction, in group, which is based on a real attempt to find a collective solution to problems. We chose to explore this area to find out if group work serves as a meaningful activity for students to focus on meaningful negotiation and information exchange. We are very much concerned with getting students to talk and to stimulate their interest and imagination. Since group work can improve learning and is a much needed skill in enhancing speaking skill, it should be exercised regularly in the classroom.

Annotated Bibliography: The Role of Group Work in Enhancing Speaking Skill in Primary Level
Baines, E., Kutnick, P., Blatchford, P. (2009). Promoting effective group work in the primary classroom: a handbook for teachers and practitioners. USA and Canada: Routledge. This handbook explores how pupil group work can be made more effective in support of children’s learning. It is based on a research study, known as the Social Pedagogic Research into Group work (SPRinG), which developed and evaluated a new approach to group work in primary schools. Boussiada, S. (2010). Enhancing students’ oral proficiency through cooperative group work: the case of 3rd year LMD students of English at Constantine University. Master’s Thesis, University of Constantine, Algeria. In her study, Boussiada explores the effects of cooperative group work on improving learners’ oral proficiency and communicative skills. She is mainly concerned with making use of pair or small group to maximize learners‟ oral production. She also attempts to shed some light on the importance of establishing a relaxed and friendly environment as an attempt to get learners to use the language.

Lee, W. (2008). Speech, language and communication needs and primary school-aged children. I Can Talk Series, Issue 6, 13-18. Retrieved March 21, 2012, from http:// www.ican.org.uk/~/media/Ican2/Whats%20the%20Issue/Evidence/6%20Speech%20%20Language%20and%20Communication%20Needs%20and%20Primary%20School%20aged%20Children.ashx This report outlines the nature and extent of Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) in primary schools, what this means for children and their families and what can be done to ensure primary school is a positive, enriching experience for children with SLCN.
Richards, J. (2008). Teaching listening and speaking: from theory to practice. NY: Cambridge University Press.
Richards explores approaches to the teaching of listening and speaking which have undergone considerable changes in recent years, and their implications for classroom teaching and materials design. His goal is to examine what applied linguistics research and theory says about the nature of listening and speaking skills, and then to explore what the implications are for classroom teaching Jones, L. (2007). The student-centered classroom. NY: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved March 18, 2012, from http://www.cambridge.org/other_files/ downloads/ esl/booklets/Jones-Student-Centered.pdf
Jones discusses how a student-centered approach helps students to develop a “can-do” attitude. He sets out to discuss how this approach can be implemented, and deals with the problems that may arise. He also discusses how students work together, in pairs, in groups, and as a whole class, and how their teacher helps them to develop their language skills.

Bibliography: Richards, J. (2008). Teaching listening and speaking: from theory to practice. NY: Cambridge University Press.