20 Grouping Ideas for the World Language Classroom

In the world language classroom, it is critical to get students talking and listening to one another.  Here are twenty grouping strategies to encourage teamwork, team building, a positive class culture, and communication.  I'll be sure to do another post on group work structures, which help to make many of these grouping strategies more effective.

1.  Permanent seats:  Groups of 4.  Choose groups carefully; each group should have a student leader and be diversified for skill level and student characteristics. I found it best to have a high-performing student with two typically middle-level students and one lower-skill student.  The higher and lower should not be next to each other. Place students strategically so that best friends are separate or across the room facing in opposite directions.  A group of four allows for interactions with three different people, easier management,  and creates an environment focused on student-centered learning.  I never liked groups of three, and would rather have a group of five.  I occasionally used groups of six, but found groups of four to be the most productive. 

2.  Group by learning preference or learning style.  Give students a learning styles survey; for certain activities, put students in groups based on how they learn, and give them an activity that suits this learning style.

3.  Skill level.  Based on a pre-test, group students for activities designed to match their mastery of objectives.  These groups are flexible and will vary each time.

4.  Interest.  What do students want to learn about and/or what is their focus for a project?  For example, group the students who love skateboarding to create an advertisement for their favorite skateboard park.

Random groupings
These can be tailored to fit the unit of study and can be more complex for each level.  Students get into one line by communicating solely in the target language. These groupings can last three minutes to an entire class period, depending upon the activity. You can then break students into smaller groups to suit the needs of the activity, maybe groups of two or groups of four, or even larger. Ideas for random groupings:

5.  Hair color.  A way to review appearance vocabulary. 

6.  Deck of cards.  You can sort students by card grouping or by suit. 

7.  Number of siblings.  Review of family.

8.  Rating scale.  Ask students - how they feel about certain topics, and rate from highest to lowest.  In level 1, it could be "pizza."  In a higher level, it could be a question about which cultural practice is preferred.  You could do a number of questions like this in a row, and ask students to make comments in the target language throughout the activity. 

9.  Number of buttons on an article of clothing.  A fun way to review clothing and create conversation. 

10.  Mood for the day - happy to grumpy.  This would be a great way to connect with students on a personal level.

Get them moving!
These are groups that allow students to get out of their seats and having conversations with each other.

11.  Inside/outside circle.  Line students up facing each other; I usually ask that they "high five" so they are certain who their partner is. Give them a prompt or a survey to complete. Rotate to communicate with different partners.

12.  Four corners.  Ask students to choose one of the four corners in the room, where you have placed different labels.  Again, this can vary by unit of study.  Favorite season in level 1; weekend rating scale in level 2; favorite character from a story in level 3; most important environmental issue in the target country in level four.  You could then give students a task or conversation questions.

13.  What's your favorite....?  Place a different picture on each group of four.  As students walk in, have them select their "favorite" of the series. Then, give them a series of questions to discuss or answer within that group.

14.  Stations.  Make each table of four desks a different activity.  Require students to complete, for example, any five of those activities.  They can move on as they finish.  Ideas for stations:  Listening station, game review, reading activity, practice quiz, computer task, etc.  Or you could have stations to learn about a time in history, such as music, literature, or historical figures. 

15.  Gallery walk.  You can use this for students to produce work or to review and discuss each other's work.  To create work, put a number of large posters around the room, either on each table of four or on the wall. Ask students to fill in vocabulary about a topic, or give a one-word answer to a question.  Groups can rotate as they finish or based on a timer.  To review work, ask students to place their work in visible places, and then discuss with a number of classmates.  A worksheet is helpful for students to write their feedback.

Ideas for groups of four

16.  Student-chosen groups.  I would rarely let students choose their own groups (except for interest-based activities), but would do it on occasion.  I found this a helpful "carrot" for getting students to finish certain activities.

17.  Conversation tables.  Put a tented paper on each group of four with questions for students to ask and answer of each other.  You can ask students to record a partner's answers or assign a recorder the task of summarizing group responses.

18.  Dice.  I loved to give prompts with dice.  On the board, 1-6 would each have a different task, and occasionally, a second die would have different characters.  Students complete the random prompt based on chance.

When all else fails...

19. Who's your favorite____(team? singer?)?  Create teams based on student responses to preferences, such as "Yankees or Red Sox?"

20.  Ask the students for ideas!  Give them an exit slip to create different groups.  You will get many ideas from them.

I hope these grouping ideas can improve your class culture, energize your students, aid learning, enable teacher facilitation, and increase communication.  What grouping strategies have you used in your classroom? 

Tips for Incorporating Technology Into the Classroom

I love using technology in the classroom. Here are some tips for its effective integration, especially for teachers who are just beginning to utilize these important tools.    

1.  Start small.  Begin with one assignment with one website.  Based on student feedback and results, your knowledge and use of technology will slowly increase over time.

2.  Demonstrate the technology the first time.  For example, if giving a “flipped” assignment, review the rubric and how to access the materials online, or if using Voki (www.voki.com), do the first assignment together using a class set of computers. That being said, I do not always “hand hold” the use of technology. Students always amaze me with their ability to figure things out. I also privately approach learners I suspect may need assistance.

3.  Utilize a technology “home base.” Creating a class website where students can access project links and materials makes it easier for students to complete assignments.  It is also a good idea to post project rubrics and templates so that tech-savvy students can type them instead.  Over time, this “home base” will evolve and grow.

4.  Embrace that most students know more about technology. When I give technology workshops, many teachers are overwhelmed with mastering the intricacies of websites and are afraid they will be unable to answer student questions.  Embrace that students know more, and encourage them to teach each other and you, the teacher.  This can greatly improve class culture, and the act of “letting go” demonstrates to students that you, too, are a learner.  

5.  Let students do the work.  If you want to create a series of videos for classroom use, assign them to students in small groups.  Later, save those videos to use with other classes.  Be sure to preview the videos before showing them to the entire class!   

6.  Ask students their opinions.  Some of the best assignment ideas come from students.  I often explain to students my idea for projects, then ask them how to make them more engaging and relevant.  Listening to their input can lead to greater choices within the assignment, and ultimately, more completion and better products.

7.  Give students choices for format. When assigning presentations, videos, or other projects, let students choose the technology. Instead of, for example, requiring the use of Prezi (www.prezi.com), Voicethread (www.voicethread.com), or Animoto (www.animoto.com), let students select the best way to meet the assignment criteria.  As part of the project rubric, require that students email you the link. (I would also, at times, give learners non-technology options too.)  Choice is a powerful motivator and a tool for creating independent learners.  

Important tip for world language teachers:

Teach students how to put accent marks into a variety of documents and web-based tools using laptops, desktop computers, tablets, and cellphones.  

Optional & Relevant Homework: A Path to Improved Culture & Performance

Switching to optional homework in year five of my teaching career was the absolute best thing that I ever did in the classroom.  That one, successful risk, gave me the confidence to think outside of the box and to experiment in order to meet the needs of students.  It also pushed me to focus on relationships with students and to choose relevant assignments based on performance.  

Why I did it:  A workshop about effective teaching strategies made me rethink the basic principles of my teaching.  I realized that assigning, monitoring, and assessing homework was taking up too much time, and instead of improving student performance, it was hindering motivation and was ineffective in its most basic aims.  In one sentence:  Homework was a major downer for my students and for me.  I tackled the problem in two ways:

1.  Most homework assignments became optional. Thanks to the school’s online grading system and my use of “total points,” it was simple to make optional assignments “invisible” in the gradebook.  I explained to students the “bank” of homework.  Completing homework would lead to a better mastery of skills, higher grades on assessments, and an increased overall average.  These points also provided a cushion for lower grades on various assignments.  Completing fewer homework assignments meant fewer points in the bank, and thus other activities would have more weight.  

2.  Homework became more relevant.  Instead of the typical workbook pages or worksheets, I worked to make homework more accessible and individualized, based on choice and skills.   This process continued to evolve based on learner feedback and skills.  

How did it go?

The initial response was puzzlement.  Overachievers were angry (and relieved) and underachievers were convinced I was an idiot.  Parents thought that I was lazy and crazy.

Immediately, class culture became more positive and my relationships with all students got better.  I could not believe it.  Those students who had felt unprepared or ready for the zero from the initial homework check now walked into the room happy and excited for the day.   All students realized that their achievement and growth were my priorities, and that if they worked hard in class, they would do well.  It was like we all took a collective sigh of relief and then  were able to focus on learning.  

And, I know it’s hard to believe - but - all grades GOT BETTER,  including overall grades.  I realized then that all homework I had given in the past had been ineffective.  

My evolution

The next few years (and even now), I have continued to work on motivation, and creating assignments based on student performance.  Last year, I experimented with goal-setting and students designing their own homework assignments and personal penalties for lack of completion.  

I am still trying to find the magic formula.  How can I get students to learn on their own without penalties from the teacher? How can we work together to make the most relevant homework assignments that will improve student performance?  I am excited to continue to figure out how to best meet the needs of all students.