Dr Jenefer Philp is a senior lecturer at Lancaster University, and Director of Studies of the MA in Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching. She is interested in what research on second language acquisition has to say for the classroom. She has recently published two books related to the topic of peer interaction: Focus on Oral Interaction, with Rhonda Oliver and Peer Interaction and Second Language Learning, with Rebecca Adams and Noriko Iwashita. Today, she joins us ahead of her upcoming webinar, Peer Interaction in Foreign Language Settings.
In many language classrooms pair and group work between learners is common. In other settings, especially where numbers are high and seating is fixed, students can spend relatively little or no time learning from their peers: most of the discourse is between the teacher and the whole class. I suggest that in most classrooms peer interaction and teacher-led interaction can be complementary: learners benefit from both, and in different ways.
In this session we will focus on the potential benefits and problems of peers working together in foreign language learning classrooms.
- How useful is it for learners to work together?
- Should we try to use pair and group work, or is it a waste of time?
- What is the role of the teacher?
I will discuss with you some of the research on peer interaction that has been carried out in foreign language classrooms among children, adolescents and adults. We will look at the potential benefits and discuss some of the challenges of peer interaction. By working out what students can gain through talking with one another, and how this complements the work of teachers, we can think about the strengths of peer interaction and how to make the most of peer activities in our classrooms.
Whether you are a teacher, researcher, or student yourself, I hope you’ll bring your stories of your own experiences, concerns and successes to share with us – through a combination of lecture and discussion, we’ll wrestle with the best ways to use peer interaction in your various classes, and ways to avoid common problems.
Topics we’ll cover:
- What do we mean by “peer interaction”?
- What types of peer interaction are there?
- How can peer interaction support learning?
- What about correcting errors?
- What about large classes – the noise, the space, the time?
- What does really useful peer interaction look like, and how can we get there?
For more on this topic do join Jenefer’s webinar, Peer Interaction in the Foreign Language Classroom,which will be held on the 24th and 25th of June. Register to join below.
