Group Work: B2+. Patrick McMahonЧитать онлайн книгу.
to a number of people.
For example:
| Group skills overview | ||
| Group memberâs name | Has particular skills in ⦠| Has experience of ⦠|
After sharing the information, you can ask one group member to type it up and distribute it to the rest of the group. The group can then use the information to help allocate roles and tasks that need to be covered in your group work.
Team-building activities
Even when students already know each other, it is important to improve communication skills and build trust within a group. In professional life, many companies organize team-building activities for their staff. These activities can be simple ones, for example:
having a meeting or a conference
having a meal
going on a day trip.
Glossary
emphasis Emphasis is special or extra importance that is given to an activity or to part or aspect of something.
The importance of team-building in profession life can be seen by the large amount of money some companies spend on team-building activities. These are often not connected with work in any way and include such things as:
adventure sports (e.g. climbing, walking, boating)
raft building
cooking classes.
This emphasis on team building in professional life demonstrates why you should place importance on team building in your student life.
Look at the team-building activities below. Which activities could be good for team building when the group members already know each other? Which ones would work best? Which of them might not be a good idea? Make notes.
| Team-building activity | Would be good because ⦠| Might not be good because ⦠|
| 1 Inviting the group for a meal where every member brings a dish from their country | ||
| 2 A visit to the local zoo | ||
| 3 A day out at a local theme park | ||
| 4 Planning and taking a dayâs walk in the countryside using maps and a picnic |
Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise.
Understanding roles and responsibilities
Glossary
effective Something that is effective works well and produces the results that were intended.
vital If you say something is vital, you mean that it is necessary or very important.
agenda An agenda is a list of items that have to be discussed at a meeting.
As group work is designed to get the best out of the individuals that make up the group, it is essential that the group operates effectively. A group is more likely to be effective if each student has a particular role as well as the responsibilities that come with that role. It is also vital that each group member fully understands their role and their responsibilities.
Sometimes your lecturer will give you a list of formal roles that must be filled by the members of your group.
For example:
| Role (or post) | Responsibilities | Skills and abilities used in this role |
| Group secretary | To take notes during group meetingsTo write up the notes afterwardsTo distribute them to the groupTo prepare an agenda for group meetingsTo distribute the agenda beforehand | This person would need good note-taking skills; good communication skills; the ability to listen carefully; good organizational skills; efficiency; the ability to write up documents and distribute them quickly. |
Read the group work assignment below. How would you allocate the group roles and responsibilities in the table below? Make notes about the skills and abilities you think are used in the roles.
For example: Design and produce a product for the baby market. Create an accompanying marketing campaign using a variety of different media.
| Role (or post) | Responsibilities |
| Group chair | To review overall progress on the assignment; to chair meetings; to settle disputes |
| Designer and developer | To design and produce the product so it is ready to be sold |
| Marketing and publicity officer | To design and execute a marketing campaign for the product |
| Accountant | To keep accounts for the group and to publish them |
| IT officer | To be in control of the IT needs of the group |
Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise.
Matching roles and responsibilities to the appropriate group member is an important skill that requires an objective judgement of both your own skills and those of the other group members.
Glossary
objective If someone is objective, they base their opinions on facts rather than on their personal feelings.
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