INTERACTION PATTERNS

UNIT. 30

BY: LILIANA BORBOLLA

October 12, 2009

At

the end of the unit the

participants will be able to
decide what type of group
pattern is suitable,
considering different reasons
and factors according to the
class and aims they want to
achieve.

Aim: aim of the lesson and aims of

activities.
Learning style: some learners prefer individual
tasks, while others prefer group work.
Level: most classes are mixed-level.
depending on what activities, similar or
different level learners might be working
together.
Personality: Leaders and followers need to
be combined.

Class size: Larger classes need careful

plans.
Learners experience: Gradual introduction is
necessary for new types of grouping.
Activity: Variety and flexibility in grouping is
necessary for different types of activities.
Group dynamics: considering the relationship
of learners

S
S-S
Ss
Ss-Ss
T-S
S-T
T-Ss
Ss-T

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

7.
8.

TEACHER AIM
LEARNING STYLES
STUDENTS ABILITIES AND LEVELS
STUDENTS PERSONALITIES
THE CLASS SIZE
THE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE OF THE
STUDENTS.
THE BALANCE OF THE INTERACTION
PATTERNS IN A LESSON
THE GROUP DYNAMICS. SUCH AS THE
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE STUDENTS

2. MUSICAL CIRCLES.
Draw a number of circles on the floor.
Children walk around the room and when the music stops, they must
stand in a circle.
Only 6 children can stand in a circle.
Each circle forms a group and you can do some simple action games in
the groups.

Prepare children carefully for the activity .

Organize them in ways appropriate to the goal of the language-learning activity.
Be clear and precise when giving instructions.
Show them ho to do the activity .
Involve them in your demonstrations .

Be positive about their efforts .

Loosen your control of the activity GRADUALLY.
Engage their intrest through having a clear & meaninful purpose for the activity.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Take one stick with your name .

Take one set of dominoes.
Form groups of 4. Each group must be
formed by 4 different colors.
Now play dominoes. The 29 cards must be
used.

Am I including a
variety of
Interaction patterns
in my lesson?

It is better to always pair

strong-weak students, this
way the strong one helps
the weak one

If i group my students there is

too much noise and
indiscipline., Ill better have
them work individually

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Active role
Passive role
Brainstorm
Chart
Context
Dominant
Feedback
Nominate
Open pairs
Closed pairs

11.
12.
13.
14.

15.
16.
17.
18.

Group dynamics
Interaction
pattern
Mixed ability
Role play
Scan
Warmer
Mingle
Get students
attention

19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.

Cooperative
Discipline
Energy levels
Grade language
One-to-one
Open class

25.
26.
27.
28.
29.

30.

Sitting arrangement
Seating plan
Teacher role
Teaching space
Rapport, build
rapport
Routine

TERM

DEFINITION

ACTIVE ROLE

When students think about their own learning and what their
own needs are and try to help themselves learn more,
they are taking an active role

PASSIVE ROLE

Is the opposite of an active role.

CLASSROOM
MANAGEMENT

The strategies used by a teacher to organise the classroom

and the learners, such as seating arrangements,
different
types of activities

CLOSED PAIRS

When students do pairwork with the person sitting next to

them and no one else listens

CO-OPERATIVE

Working together and helping each other.

DISCIPLINE

The way a teacher keeps control of students in the

classroom

DOMINANT

To have a very strong influence over what happens

TEACHER-CENTRED

If a teacher dominates, the lesson is

TERM

DEFINITION

ENERGY LEVELS

The feeling in a classroom. If students are interested and

working hard. Or if students are bored or tired.

GET STUDENTS
ATTENTION

To make students listen to the teacher, possibly after they

have been doing group or pairwork

GRADE (LANGUAGE)

To use language that is the correct level for the students

and is not too difficult.

GROUP DYNAMICS

The relationship between members of the class.

INTERACTION PATTERNS

Interaction patterns
The ways in which students work together in class, such
as open class, pairwork, group work and individual work.

INVOLVEMENT

Taking part in an activity, being involved in it.

LEARNING CONTRACT

An agreement between the

teacher and the students about their roles and
responsibilities (i.e. what the teacher will do and what the
students will do to help the students to learn).

TERM

DEFINITION

MIXED ABILITY, MIXED

LEVEL

The different levels of language or ability of students

studying in the same class

MONITOR

To watch over students in order to make sure that they

are doing what they have been asked to do, and help
them if
they are having problems

NOMINATE

To choose and name one student to speak or do a

particular task.

ONE-TO-ONE

A teaching situation which involves only one teacher and

one student.

OPEN CLASS

OPEN PAIRS
RAPPORT

When the teacher leads the class in an activity and each

student is paying attention to what is happening. When
students respond, they do so in front of everyone in the
class,
In ----------------, one pair does a pairwork activity in front
of the class. This technique is useful for showing how to
do an activity and/or for focusing on accuracy.
The relationship between the teacher and students

TERM

DEFINITION

BUILD RAPPORT

Teachers try to build or create a good rapport or

relationship with their students.

ROUTINE

Something which is done

regularly such as a teacher setting writing homework
every Friday

SEATING ARRANGEMENT

The way the students sit in the classroom, e.g. in rows, in

a circle around the teacher, in groups around different
tables.

SEATING PLAN

A plan of where the students should sit in the classroom

TEACHER ROLE

The way a teacher chooses to manage the classroom

TEACHING SPACE

The areas in the classroom that can be used for teaching,

e.g. the board, the walls, the desks, the open floor

MINGLE

A mingle is an activity which involves students walking

round the classroom talking to other students

 TKT

COURSEBOOK
Children Learning English. Jayne Moon. Ed.
Macmillan Heineman.
A course in language teaching. Penny Ur