Teach English in TangjiAkou Jiedao - Tianjin

Seating Arrangements There are many things to consider in striving to create an excellent learning environment. One of the simplest is seating arrangement. While not all seating arrangements are effective for all types of learning, there are some that are especially conducive to classes where language is being taught. These settings require a less formal atmosphere where conversation is encouraged. We will look specifically at seating arrangements that are useful in english as Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. EFL classes exist all over the world. Some are within english speaking countries, but many are located in other language dominated countries. Not all classes will be conducted in facilities specifically for Education. The traditional classroom with desks and chairs may not always be available. Students may be seated at tables, desks, in chairs, on benches, or even on the floor. The EFL teacher will need to be flexible in their approach, and consider in advance some acceptable options. Having access to the room before classes begin is the most desirable situation. Many teachers consider seating arrangements to be an intuitive subject. However, there are numerous seating arrangements in classes all over the world and each has varied usefulness. The standard rows of students in assigned seats may work for some types of educational situations. However, this is not the ideal situation for EFL classes. Standard rows create a formal setting where lecturing is the primary means of knowledge transfer. Since the goal in EFL classes is for students to be able to understand and communicate in a new language, english, the setting needs to be conducive to this. A more informal, communal setting is desired. The goal is to create an environment where all students are equal, easily able to communicate to one another, able to see the teacher and her teaching aids (black/white board, overhead projection unit, etc.), and a setting where the teacher is easily able to walk around the classroom amongst the students, or to easily hide away to the side or back of the classroom. One of the more preferred arrangements is that of a crescent or semi-circle. This arrangement of chairs/desks makes it possible for all students to make eye contact with each other while at the same time being able to view a teaching space at the front of the room. One issue with this arrangement is that the teacher has limited motility in between the students. Also, the crescent shape might be huge if the class size is large. With large numbers of students, the crescent loses its effect. An adaptation of the crescent is suggested by classroom management expert Fred Jones, author of Tools for Teaching. He states, ?One example of an effective room arrangement is one that groups students into three sections, as depicted in the photograph. Jones suggests pushing two desks together on each side of the room, angled at a slant toward the front of the room and push four desks together in the middle of the room. That arrangement creates two walkways to the back of the room and four walkways side to side between the rows.? (http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr330.shtml) In this arrangement, the teacher is able to move amongst the students easily and the students are able to work in pairs or groups easily, also. In an arrangement like this, the teacher may desire to place stronger students paired with weaker students. One foreseeable problem could be that the students in the rear of the classroom may tend to be less focused than those in the front. Another arrangement commonly used in EFL classes is called ?cluster seating.? With cluster seating, students are seated in groups of three or more. While this arrangement does facilitate peer communication, the teacher must be able to help the students limit native language conversations and stay on task. And finally, a variation on cluster seating is that of ?pair seating.? Pair seating has similar benefits and issues to cluster seating. (http://www.teflonline.net/tefl-articles/seating-arrangements-in-the-classroom-27/) The EFL teacher will need to make her decision of seating arrangement based upon the number of students, size of the classroom, and furniture available. The goal is to create an environment where students feel free and encouraged to practice the english language verbally with one another.