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COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITY IN THE ESL CLASSROOM

Vanya Ivanova, Gergana Petkova, Veronika Kelbecheva

Abstract

In our post-pandemic times, special prominence seems to be placed on face-to-face communication by students and teachers alike. A number of needs analyses and surveys regarding learners’ English study preferences and recommendations have been carried out at the University of Plovdiv and the Medical University – Plovdiv. The results show that most respondents claim they need (and desire) more pair work and work in small groups. Students realize the need to develop their soft skills in English rather than hard ones (their knowledge). In response to these requests, we have incorporated different collaborative activities and project tasks that our students work on in class and as homework. In this article, we have given examples of some of them. Students’ feedback shows that learners enjoy working with their peers, they feel relaxed and more productive and their mutual work is beneficial to all.


Keywords

ESL; pair work; work in small groups; project assignments

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References

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