A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SECOND LANGUAGE STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN TEACHER-LED, UNSTRUCTURED GROUP, AND STRUCTURED GROUP ACTIVITIES

Abstract

This study examined learner participation under three classroom settings: Teacher-led (TL) activity, unstructured group work (UGW) and structured group work (SGW). Both TL and UGW used the same task type (Opinion Exchange), while the SGW used Jigsaw task. The three kinds of classroom settings were compared to investigate their effects on learner participation. The participants were 20 students from two parallel intermediate level Mandarin classes at the National University of Singapore. Their ages ranged from 19 to 46. They were non-native speakers of Mandarin from a variety of first language backgrounds (13 Japanese, I Korean, 2 Malay, 1 Cantonese, 1 English, 2 Filipino). All learners participated in all three types of classroom settings and both classes followed exactly the same procedures. The data were collected over a period of ten weeks. Three texts of similar length and level of interest and difficulty were selected and used in the main study. In the TL setting, the teacher asked the class to read the text and then led whole class discussion. For group activities, learners were assigned to groups of four or five, one group using UGW and the other using SGW. Both groups used the same text. In UGW, learners read the whole text and then carried out a discussion. In SGW, each learner was given a different portion of the same text to read and explain to their group members before the discussion. The procedure in the group activities was repeated at another time, using a different text, and the setting for each group was reversed to ensure all participants went through all three settings. Learners' on-task interaction for each setting was audio-taped and transcribed to yield data which were analyzed in terms of turns and c-units. Classroom observation, questionnaires for the teacher and students, and semi-structured interviews were also carried out to gain further information on learner participation. Statistical analyses of the results showed that more learner talk was generated in both types of group work than in the TL setting. Among the group activities, SGW generated more learner talk than UGW. The questionnaires and interviews indicated that learners acknowledged the importance of speaking in the classroom and agreed that the SGW provided the most opportunity to speak. However, both the teacher and students preferred to use either TL or UGW activities. The reasons for their preferences for TL and UGW revealed a complex picture, influenced by personal and cultural factors. Both teacher and students thought these three settings all benefited learning, but in different ways. The results of the study suggest that all three settings can play a positive role in classroom second language acquisition. Therefore, keeping a balanced mixture of each in the curriculum is recommended.