Date of Award

1-1-2001

Thesis Type

Masters

Document Type

Thesis

Divisions

Faculty of Languages and Linguistics

Department

-

Institution

Universiti Malaya

Abstract

Research on effective approaches to language teaching is an on-going process. This study looks at a learner active classroom where students are encouraged to work as members of a team, sharing a common round table. The Malaysian English Language Syllabus for Secondary Schools recommend the use of group work in the language class. Thus, there is a dire need for teachers to understand the problems and difficulties that learners may face whilst carrying out group activities or task and at the same time, to help these learners overcome such language obstacles in the processes of both teaching and learning the English Language. In this research classroom observations and questionnaires were used as the instruments to obtain data. The observations examined student- student/teacher - student interactions under five main headings: Whole Class Introduction. Group Task, Group Dynamics, Monitoring of Group Or Whole Class and Whole Class Wrap-Up. The questionnaire designed for the learners inquired into the learner's learning preferences and also probed learner's attitudes toward the use of group work in the ESL classroom. The questionnaire was divided into the following headings: Subject Matter, Interpersonal Skills, Decision Making Skills. Attitude Toward Method and Attitude Toward Group Work. The second questionnaire looked at the attitude of teachers toward the appropriacy of using group work in the ESL classroom. The data was analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics and the results implied that even though learners faced certain difficulties in group work. there was a positive inclination from the learners toward the use of group work in the process of language learning. There are some pedagogical implications from the findings of this research. The teaching implications in this study do not intend to be exhaustive but as a guide for teachers wishing to take this aspect of teaching.

Initial

snms

Additional Information

Dissertation (M.A) -- Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya, 2002.

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