Types of Student-Student Interaction
Student-student interaction occurs in both formal and informal situations in the second language classroom. These include both formal and informal group discussions, jigsaw activities, think-pair-share, and many others.
Benefits
Increasing student-to-student interaction in the second language classroom has many benefits. The main benefit of increased student-to-student interaction is the effect on classroom anxiety (Crookall & Oxford, 1991, p. 142). Excessive lecture can be also be challenging for students with diverse language backgrounds, neurodivergence, and hearing disabilities. Student-to-student interaction allows students to focus more on communication rather than correctness. Students can be distracted by too many error corrections and be unable to even use corrections if they are not at that stage of acquisition. Student-to-student interaction also encourages agency and self-direction, further alleviating anxiety for students. Good class discussions put students in charge of the conversation which can lead to more equitable outcomes for marginalized students. Specific to other activities, Think-pair-share activities give students an opportunity to hear more diverse perspectives than just the instructor and jigsaw activities give students the opportunity to construct knowledge on their own.
Limitations
Student-to-student interaction in the second language classroom has downsides. However, it is not without trade-offs. Students from some cultural backgrounds may be used to a more authoritarian or status-driven academic culture. Such students may actually become more anxious or upset in situations where the teacher is not centered. Without careful management, more assertive students can tend to dominate conversations and projects in a phenomenon known as the consolidation of responsibility. Though, this is somewhat alleviated by keeping student groups small. It’s important to consider students’ attitudes towards independent styles of learning before implementing them in the classroom.