Group and pair work can create effective opportunities for learners to use language as learners have more opportunities to speak than in a whole class setting. One way of encouraging output is by setting tasks for which learners really need to communicate with each other in the target language.

This process is called negotiation of meaning. By interacting and receiving feedback from others, learners will discover the appropriateness and correctness of their content and language, and will be able to judge whether or not they have been understood.

Video

In this clip, the learners use English to discuss an assignment. As they do so, they test whether or not they are being understood. They see the effect of their pronunciation and adjust when necessary. This clip was filmed at Calvijn Groene Hart in Barendrecht. The learners are first year Mavo/Havo/VWO pupils (average age 12-13), the subject is Mathematics and the teacher is Bas Hellendoorn.