Which is better: group training or individual lessons. Group work skills Individual lessons are best suited

One of the most frequently asked questions is about which classes are more effective - individual or group. And every time I cannot answer unambiguously.

Firstly, both have their pros and cons. Secondly, there are a lot of variables everywhere, such as: the skill of the teacher, the size of the group; the level of the student, his goals and objectives, his inclinations, and preferences.

I’ll try to sort everything out and understand the advantages and disadvantages of learning English individually with a teacher and in a group of like-minded people.

Benefits of group classes:

I don’t know how it is for anyone, but I have group classes three times cheaper than individual))

For those who are motivated by healthy competitive spirit , the group is a great option. Such students do not want to cope with the task later and worse than everyone else and lose face. Such a student thinks: how is it that everyone understands and knows how to form polite sentences, but I don’t? And he commands himself: to catch up and overtake.

At the same time, you can always ask for help from your classmates and take advantage of cooperation . I don’t know or understand something, someone else will help me figure it out. At the same time, someone else understands my difficulties (he went through it himself), which means he will find a way to convey the information as clearly as possible.

The group usually brings together people of different ages and professions; with different experiences and hobbies. This is an excellent resource not only to meet new people (and like-minded people!) and make friends, but also learn in synergy mode.

Everyone's resources, abilities and knowledge are multiplied many times over, and a completely special experience emerges compared to the tête-à-tête format.

An example from practice: I have one mini-group (or more precisely, these are classes in pairs), where one student does not bother in a good way about issues of language and deep philosophy, and the second is thoughtful and inclined to analyze linguistic and life phenomena. So they perfectly balance and complement each other.

Whatever one may say, there’s more in the group variety of work forms available to the teacher. Yes, with individual lessons you can distort and realize almost all your ideas, but in a group it is still easier. How, for example, would you order to organize a dialogue between a student and 5 different partners in one-to-one classes? If only the teacher could transform into different characters and demonstrate his acting skills. Joke))

But seriously, over the years of working with students individually, I, of course, have adapted my methods and forms of work and do not suffer from this at all. But sometimes, no, no, and the thought will slip through: “It’s a pity that this toy cannot be used with one student!”

Thanks to the variety of forms of work, students can practice English with different people: confidentially communicate in pairs, arrange an exchange of opinions in mini-groups or a lively discussion in large groups. So are training communication skills with different people and in different formats.

And this is where there are often misunderstandings about teaching methods and forms of work.

Myth: You can’t learn anything from other students, so working in pairs and communicating with classmates is completely ineffective.

I even once came across such a gem on the Internet:

It is often said that a group provides more opportunities for communication, but think about it - with whom? With students like you? What will you learn from people who speak English as well as you? Will this prepare you for real communication with English-speaking people?

Well, let's debunk the myth?

In fact, working in pairs and communicating with students like yourself is a very valuable resource. This is an opportunity to learn to communicate not only with native speakers with their correct and impeccable English, but also with the whole world.

A little unexpected, but at the same time logical fact: if you look at the composition of all English users, it turns out that the ratio of native speakers to non-native speakers is 3:1. Contact Linguistics Professor David Crystal for details. Just imagine! What does this mean? And the fact that you are more likely to meet an English-speaking person, anyone, but NOT an Englishman or an American.

And then the fun will begin: Indian, Chinese, Spanish, Russian English and other variations of IMPERFECT, IMPERFECT English. And you will have to understand each other, clarify difficult points and agree on meanings (in linguistics this is called negotiating meaning) with people like you. With those whose English is not perfect.

So what can your classmate teach you? Academically, maybe not much. But it will be an excellent simulator for your opportunity to learn to communicate with the whole world and at the same time negotiate.

All this under one important condition. Work in pairs is effective when both participants do not resort to help. When the temptation to use this crutch of your native language to clarify difficult and incomprehensible moments ends, the real development of communication skills begins.

Group classes are also good because you can learn take a break. It is impossible to keep your brain in tension for the entire 90 minutes of the lesson. Sometimes you get overwhelmed and you just need to relax and unwind. So in the group there is an opportunity to hide from the all-seeing eye of the teacher))

Disadvantages of group classes:

Group tied to schedule , and if you miss class, that's your problem. You will have to catch up on what you missed, either on your own or at the mercy of your classmates and teacher. Well, you won't get your money back.

If the group was chosen illiterately , you may either be too boring and simple, or vice versa. From experience working in language schools and English courses, I know that administrators, of course, are not enemies of the people and try to select students of the same level. But at the same time, their main task is to launch a new group as quickly as possible. This means that you can close your eyes to the students and hope that it will resolve itself. Like, let the teacher take the rap.

I also have mini-groups, but I understand perfectly well that it’s up to me to work with the group. And I want, firstly, to see the results of my students, and secondly, so that I can work comfortably, and not jump around with a tambourine, trying to please them and not offend them. And what’s good about a overwhelmed teacher who has to spend a lot of effort on such organizational and methodological preparatory issues?

Understanding all this, I, for example, will not chase the number of groups, and would rather wait until a group of students with the appropriate level and goals is formed.

Single individualists may be uncomfortable with the format of group classes precisely because, willy-nilly, they will have to compare your progress with the successes of others. With some it works the other way around: it doesn’t motivate, it depresses.

Even if the group is assembled flawlessly, it happens that one person is not given some aspect of the language. A teacher will not always have the opportunity (or perhaps the desire) to work on something difficult for just one person. The rest of the group will get bored. Whatever one may say, when you study English in a group, you and your difficulties suffer less attention .

It's okay if it's an aspect of grammar. With all sorts of conditional moods and infinitives, the goals are simpler. But if it is oral speech, then there is a large and complex skill? You won't get rid of it in one or two times. And within the same listening test, different students have different difficulties and different reasons why it fails. Some people don’t have enough, and others don’t hear how they change.

There is another myth associated with the issue of attention.

Myth: When studying in a group, the teacher will not be able to correct all the mistakes in speech.

And the trick here is that you don’t need to correct all, all, all errors. But more on that in the next posts. I'm cunning, yes))

Let's move on to the advantages of individual training.

Benefits of private English lessons

As the format of individual lessons suggests, everything time is given to you , once again to you and exclusively to you. Unless the teacher is chatting on the phone with his friends during class))) In Russian.

If you have special goals, the teacher will create individual plan taking into account all your strengths and weaknesses, preferences and objectives. True, individual lessons do not always automatically mean...

But be that as it may, the chances of getting a personalized plan in one-to-one classes are higher. The teacher will select tasks, exercises and activities exclusively for your needs: if you need training - please! You need to dwell on something in more detail - easy! Listening fails - we'll fix it. Difficulties with - let's deal with them!

Accordingly, you will learn at your own pace , without looking back at classmates who are lagging behind or trying to reach the fastest ones. Your personal pace sets the pace of the course.

For those for whom competition and competitiveness demotivate rather than encourage academic success, individual English lessons are more suitable. For some people, in learning a language it is better and more comfortable to focus only on your successes rather than comparing yourself to others.

Schedule Private lessons may be more flexible. If you are sick, you can agree to reschedule the lesson to another day and time, or conduct the lesson via Skype. True, different teachers have different approaches to absences and cancellations. Of course, no one will tolerate malicious absentees, but any force majeure and medical circumstances will most likely be treated with understanding.

For example, my policy is this: if a cancellation occurs, the student does not lose either money or the lesson. But if there are 2 last-minute cancellations in one month, then the third time we just say “goodbye” to each other. It would be strange to constantly cater to careless students, especially if there is a waiting list. Someone else needs English more.

Disadvantages of individual lessons:

Individual sessions expensive than group ones. What is there to comment on?))

Chances are you'll get used to it communicate with only one person and in a certain environment, in the manner of Pavlov’s dog. I see Mary-Ivanna - I say. I don't see - I don't say.

This happens solely because you feel safe and confident with this person: they will always listen to you until the end, and if something is unclear, they will gently get to the bottom of it)) It is pleasant and easy to communicate with such an interlocutor. And you quickly get used to good things. This doesn't always happen in life.

I will not consider options when you simply don’t like the teacher. His methods, techniques, personality, and even his appearance (yes, for some this is important!). Now our eyes have already seen what we bought. And if you simply don’t like the teacher, you shouldn’t even start studying with him. Or, if suddenly the terrible truth was not revealed immediately, it is better to stop the torment.

Although on the other hand... Okay, I’ll tell you a little insider information)) A teacher is also a person, and for me, for example, it’s rare - but it happens - that I don’t like a student. But I'm starting to work with him. And what do you think?

Over time, some new interesting facets open up in people, and common ground is found. And I dote on those students. Maybe a professional skill has developed? So, it happens that over time you begin to like the teacher with terrible force))

Who tried both options: group classes and individual lessons? What pros and cons have you found for yourself?

And finally, everything is the same, but in the form of a short list:

Individual sessions	All the time is devoted exclusively to you Tasks are selected exclusively according to your needs, strengths and weaknesses You will be measured only by your successes, and not compare yourself with others You can agree to reschedule the lesson to another day and time or conduct the lesson via Skype	Individual lessons are more expensive than group lessons There is a chance that you will get used to communicating with only one person and in a certain environment.
Group classes	It's cheaper Group dynamics are usually higher, and the forms of work are more diverse The spirit of healthy competition will not let you get bored, while there is an opportunity for mutual assistance Training communication skills with people from the real world who speak less than perfect English Expanding your social circle	The group is tied to a schedule, and if you miss a class, it's your problem If the group is not selected correctly, you will either be too boring and simple, or vice versa Willy-nilly, you will compare your successes with the successes of others The teacher does not always have the opportunity/desire to explain something incomprehensible to only one person

Many owners, getting ready to start training their dogs, ask themselves this question. Let's find out!

Group lessons are usually cheaper, and for many owners this is a deciding factor. Of course, in a group the dog learns to work in a team, not paying attention to his comrades. In addition, when training dogs collectively, a teaching method works in which dogs, imitating the actions of their teammates, learn to perform certain actions. In a group you have the opportunity to do exercises that cannot be done in individual or independent classes. During recess, classmates can run and play with each other, which is especially important for dogs that are not often walked with. The group is also communication for the owners, an opportunity to exchange experiences and impressions, which is also important.

However, despite all the advantages of studying in a group, in general, learning in the initial stages is slower than with individual lessons. It is difficult for a dog, especially a puppy, to concentrate on the demands of its owner when there are so many distractions around, especially when these factors are moving dogs. The group brings together dogs that are very different in character, temperament and ability to learn, and the owners are also all different, with different experiences in training, and they do not always learn quickly. Of course, an experienced instructor, even in such a diverse group, gives tasks to everyone according to their capabilities, but still, such training is more difficult for both dogs and owners and progresses more slowly. Also, when training in a group, the instructor does not have the opportunity to track the owner’s mistakes during everyday walks, but it is precisely on them that everyday obedience should be practiced, for which owners with dogs go to classes.

Here I would like to emphasize an important point: all dog training should be divided into two large blocks:

Block 1 - behavioral - this is how your relationship with your pet is built, how you walk with it (time, fullness of the walk), how you feed it (regime, conditions), how you generally spend time together. It is this part of education and training that allows a dog to develop the necessary everyday obedience with a minimum of commands - the dog’s ability to walk on a leash and/or without a leash, and at the same time be attentive and responsive to its owner, not pick up food from the ground, not jump on passers-by, do not run after runners and cyclists, respond to other dogs, do not pull on the leash, etc... . This is a very important part of training, without which there is practically no point in moving on to the second part.

Block 2 is the actual training - that is, the formation of specific skills tied to specific commands. This is usually what dogs are taught at training grounds. Of course, this is also a very important part of training, allowing the dog to develop mentally and physically. This is a great workout for the dog's nervous system. In addition, daily training with a dog allows the owner to develop as a trainer, gain invaluable experience in communicating with a dog, and not only...!

It often happens that a dog seems to know the skills that it learned with difficulty on the playground in a group, but as soon as you unhook the leash, all the knowledge disappears somewhere! This happens precisely because the first and most important behavioral part has not been formed. And it is very difficult, almost impossible, to regulate these moments in a group. The instructor, of course, will tell you what exercises you should do, but your specific reactions should depend on specific situations, and it is possible to work this out properly only with individual lessons. Often, when training itself has become the first and only form of training a dog, the owners resort to so-called “behavior correction,” although in fact, they simply started from the wrong place.

Individual lessons are more expensive. But in many, many ways they are more effective, especially in the early stages of shaping the dog’s daily behavior and teaching specific skills with minimal owner mistakes! An experienced instructor always knows at what stage it is time to put you and your pet in a group, or in some other way take the dog “out into the world.” It depends on the individual characteristics of the dog, and on your abilities as a trainer, and on what goals you ultimately pursue. In most cases, the group turns out to be useful only at the last stages of training, when all the skills are well formed and practiced, and then it would be good to polish them in a group.

The optimal regime for the average dog, without obvious behavior problems, is several individual lessons , and then you can do it in a group. During individual lessons, the owner learns, and the dog will develop basic skills, and with this baggage you can already move on to group classes 1-2 times a week, without leaving independent daily classes without a group!

Ultimately, the decision - how, where and how much to exercise - remains with the owner and his understanding of “good” dog behavior.

Good luck to all!!!

Natalya Korenkova.

Parents often wonder: is it better to study individually or in a group? To answer this question, let's compare these two types of activities:

Individual sessions	Group classes
Educational material is selected for a specific child, based on his needs. Material that the child has poorly mastered is taken into account.	In the group, all children study according to the established program. The trainer does not have the opportunity to pay more attention to the topic than the hours given in the program.
They allow you to stage an individual opening repertoire, in accordance with the character of the child and the psychology of his game.	In the group, everyone learns the same opening repertoire, without taking into account the child’s characteristics.
During individual lessons, it is possible to more deeply analyze all the games played by the child. This is very important, since during analysis the coach identifies mistakes made at various stages of the game. There is a possibility that in the next tournament the child will make fewer such mistakes. Also, the coach, based on the identified errors, can adjust the lesson plan with the child.	Not all games can be analyzed. Since each child plays 9 games during the tournament, and there are at least 15 children in the group. It is impossible to analyze 135 games in 2 hours and psychologically they simply cannot stand it.
During individual lessons, the child feels more comfortable, as he is not afraid to speak out. This allows the trainer to see the degree of mastery of the material and promptly point out the fallacy of his judgments.	Many children are afraid to express their opinion because of ridicule from classmates and prefer to remain silent.
There is an active dialogue between the coach and the child.	When practicing in a group, the coach does not have enough time to listen to all the children in the group, since he needs to proofread the program.
Individual lessons exclude play practice, which allows the child to put the acquired knowledge into practice.	At each lesson, time is allocated for practice games.
Lack of communication with the team.	They have the opportunity to communicate with like-minded people.

In order to compensate for the shortcomings of one or another type of activity, it is necessary to combine them. Then the question arises: How many and what kind of classes are needed?

Group lessons are standardized by the program, and individual lessons are regulated based on:

1. Age characteristics of the child.

For the age group from 4 to 6 years, individual lessons are better, no more than 30-40 minutes, 2-3 times a week. This is necessary because this category of children is not assiduous and quickly forgets the material. Regular practice is required for success.

— For the age group from 7 to 9 years, subject to attending all group lessons, individual lessons are required 1-2 times a week for no more than 60 minutes. If you cannot attend group classes (study, illness), then it is better to increase the number of individual lessons so that the child catches up with the material.

— In the age group from 10 to 12 years, subject to attending all group classes, individual lessons are required 2-3 times a week from 1 hour 30 minutes. and more.

— In the age group from 13 to 17 years, subject to attending all group classes, individual classes are required 2 times a week for 3 hours or more.

2.Level of the game. The higher the level of the game, the more material you need to learn. Sometimes children manage to complete three levels in one year of study, and the groups are re-staffed in the next school year. In order not to waste precious time, you can add knowledge to your child through individual lessons.

3.Individual characteristics of the child. Each child is individual and each needs a different amount of time to master this or that material.

“What is the best way to learn English in a group or individually?” - this is a question asked by many people who decide to take English courses for adults. It is impossible to answer it unequivocally, since many factors must be taken into account. In this article you will learn about the features of each of these ways of learning English.

Individual English learning

So, let's start with individual lessons. This form of training is very suitable for busy people and has a more flexible class schedule. This form of training has its positive and negative sides.

Benefits of individual training

1. Individual training program

When drawing up a training program, the teacher will definitely take into account all your wishes and features. As a result, the training course will include the topics that interest you and the problems that you want to examine.

2. Flexible schedule

You choose the time and duration of classes. Schedule flexibility gives you the opportunity to manage your own time, which is an important factor for busy people.

3. Study at home or in the office

You can study wherever it is convenient for you. It is enough to agree with the teacher so that he comes to you.

In addition to the benefits, individual training includes: minuses.

Disadvantages of individual training

1. Difficulty in overcoming the language barrier

Having gotten used to communicating in English only with the teacher, in the future when communicating with strangers you may have difficulties due to the fear of communication. The language barrier can only be broken by communicating with more people.

2. Difficulty understanding English speech

Listening to one person, you get used to his pronunciation. Since the classes are held with a teacher, most likely his pronunciation is good, and he tries to speak words to you clearly. In real life, everyone's pronunciation is different. And no one will specifically pronounce words for you.

3. High cost of training

Individual lessons are not cheap. Your wishes, such as schedule flexibility and home-based classes, will undoubtedly be reflected in the cost of lessons.

Learning English in a group

Group classes, unlike individual ones, include much more conversational practice, which has a very positive effect on the development of skills: speech understanding, speaking skills, fluency.

Benefits of group classes

1. Low cost of classes

Group lessons are much cheaper than one-on-one lessons with a teacher. 1 hour of individual lessons is approximately 4-5 times more expensive than group lessons. Naturally, we are talking about professional teachers with work experience.

2. Easily overcome the language barrier

In a group you have the opportunity to communicate. After all, we need language precisely for this. And we want to communicate with the whole world, and not just with one person. Classes in a group are often much more dynamic and varied. On them you get a lot of speaking practice, as you communicate with different people. Therefore, in real life, when communicating with strangers, you will not have difficulties or fear of communication.

3. Improving the skill of understanding foreign speech

In a group you communicate with different people. During communication, you not only improve your speaking skills, but also learn to understand the pronunciation of different people. Thanks to this, when abroad you adapt much faster to the pronunciation of the people who live there. And the more you communicate and listen, the easier it will be for you to understand speech.

3. Competition within the group

This is an additional motivation to study and keep up with others. The tutor can make concessions and forgive the lack of time and unfinished homework (after all, you are the one paying him the money). But when studying in a group, you simply don’t want to feel inferior to others. You will complete all tasks, even if you are lazy or lack time. After all, the realization that you are behind other people will be unpleasant primarily for you.

4. Regularity of classes

You can call the tutor and cancel the lesson - very convenient. You can do this one, two, three times in a row, and then completely forget about what English is. This won’t happen in a group; a regular schedule will be an excellent incentive not to miss out.

5. Have a good time

Finally, a group is simply an opportunity to socialize, meet interesting people, and make friends.

Disadvantages of learning English in a group

1. Character traits

Some people are too shy, find it difficult to communicate with large numbers of strangers, and feel uncomfortable in group classes. But it is precisely these people who, by studying in a group, can catch two birds with one stone: learn English and overcome the fear of communication. After all, in any case, we learn a language precisely in order to communicate in it.

2. Lack of an individual program

When studying in a group, you will only go through what is provided in the program. On the one hand, this is good, since basically the most popular topics that are needed for life are covered. On the other hand, you will not have the opportunity to choose a topic that interests you.

3. Misunderstanding of the material

All people have different learning abilities. Some people only need to hear something once and they pick it up on the fly. Others need to understand and comprehend the information a little longer. When studying in a group, some people are afraid to ask the teachers something again if they did not understand or missed some point. Because of this, the material may be poorly absorbed.

Which option is better to choose?

If you are a very busy person and cannot go to a group on a specific schedule, then only individual training is suitable for you. But it will cost several times more.

In other cases, it is better to go to a group, since this is where English skills are best developed. Not only will you improve your speech understanding and speaking skills, but you will also be able to break down barriers quickly and easily. This method is especially suitable for those who have already learned English before (at school, for example), but do not remember anything or have forgotten.

Friends, which option do you prefer? How do you study: in a group or individually?

Training, whether computer training or 1C training, is an organized process aimed at ensuring that the student can understand and assimilate the training material, and then apply the acquired knowledge in their further practical activities. Thus, the educational process is aimed at developing the student’s knowledge, skills and abilities.

Currently, there are several forms of training organization, each of which has its own characteristics and is characterized by specific advantages and disadvantages. Any person can independently choose the form of education for himself, guided by his own or someone else’s experience, taking into account all the positive and negative aspects of a certain form of organizing the educational process.

Most often, two forms of training are used: individual lessons, during which the student works independently, and group learning, aimed at group comprehension of the educational material. To choose one form of training or another, it is necessary to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of group and individual classes.

Individual form of training- this is the oldest form of the educational process, used since ancient times. Its essence is that the student masters new material by performing specific tasks individually with the help of a teacher. In individual lessons, the listener feels as comfortable as possible, since he can express any of his thoughts, writing down what he considers necessary, and taking an active part in discussing the answer to a certain question.

Benefits of individual lessons for the teacher is that:

• firstly, this form of training allows him to select individual methods and pace of learning for the student;
• secondly, the teacher has no obstacles to observing every action and reaction of his listener when considering certain issues;
• thirdly, the teacher can, in the process of presenting the material, make the necessary amendments and adjustments to the student’s learning;
• fourthly, the teacher monitors the discipline of not the entire team, but only one person, which minimizes the time spent on presenting educational material.

In turn, individual lessons for the student also have their advantages:

• an individual schedule of the educational process allows you to independently choose the optimal time for classes;
• makes it possible to monitor the expenditure of one’s own forces;
• makes you feel comfortable;
• promotes the expression of one’s opinion without worrying about its accuracy;
• makes it possible to ask the teacher the number of questions that interest the listener to the greatest extent.

However, the individual form of organizing the educational process is, to some extent, not perfect, since it has a number of disadvantages:

• cooperation is a skill, a skill that can only be obtained by studying in a group or team;
• the individual process is uneconomical, since it limits the influence of the teacher due to the need to bring the educational material to the listener’s understanding and check the fulfillment of assigned tasks;
• With individual training, there is limited cooperation with other representatives of the training group, which, in turn, negatively affects the development of the student’s teamwork skills.

Another, no less popular, form of organizing the educational process is group training, i.e. group training. The essence of this type of training is that the teacher conducts training not with one listener, but with a whole group. The level of training of an individual student may be different, therefore, during group classes, the teacher must create certain conditions that allow students to receive the maximum amount of information.

The group form of training also has its advantages. The most significant of them include:

• presentation by the teacher of material structured by topic;
• the desire of listeners to interact with each other in the process of discussing any issue;
• cost-effectiveness of training, since the teacher simultaneously works with a certain number of students;
• ensuring consistency and systematicity in the process of acquiring knowledge.

The group form of training has a number of disadvantages:

• this system is designed for a listener with average learning abilities, while group classes create difficulties for weak listeners and almost stop the development of abilities in strong listeners;
• The group form of training is also difficult for the teacher, because it creates difficulties in organizing individual work with students;
• group training- this is training that has a planned pace, it deprives the listener of the opportunity to work according to his abilities;
• Despite the fact that the teacher makes significant efforts in this form of teaching, the results may not always be high.

If group training does not bring the expected result, then it is necessary to correct the students’ knowledge, which, in turn, requires additional training time and pedagogical efforts.

From all of the above, the following can be concluded: conclusions:

• the best form of organizing training is the group form, since each student learns to interact, compromise, and look for the right answers not alone, but with a group, and this is an important component of self-development and self-realization;
• At the same time, individual training also has its advantages, because each student is an individual who has his own individual character traits, a desire for learning and development.

However, it should be remembered that the desire of the listener to learn and the desire of the teacher to teach must be interconnected. The teacher must convey to the students the fact that learning means that it is necessary to engage in self-development, self-education, and not wait to be taught, and in this case it does not matter which form of organization of the educational process the student has chosen for himself.