The Teaching of Grammar
23 bers influence and respond to each other in the process of communicating p.13.”
Therefore group activities can be described as activities which are done by a collection of people by influencing and responding to each other to communicate.
Moreover, there are two aims and objectives of group activities. They are providing the opportunity for students not only to engage in intellectual discourse
but also to create social relationship and allowing students to communicate their thoughts, and feelings, and measure their understanding by expressing comparing
it with their peers Jaques, 1984, p. 70. In addition, the types of group activities are controlled discussion, step-by-
step discussion, buzz, snowball groups pyramiding, crossover groups, horse shoe groups, seminar, tutorials, syndicate, case study, peer tutoring, project,
games, free on associative discussion, brainstorming, and synectics Jaques, 1984, pp. 83-111.
Controlled discussion is used to check the knowledge and understand the presented materials. Step-by-step discussion is a discussion that provides a
sequence of subject matter based on a prepared text, audio or video tape. Buzz enables students to express their difficulty without saying something to the whole
class. Snowball groups pyramiding ensure comprehensive participation by firstly starting with individuals writing their ideas before sharing them. Crossover
groups divide the students into groups which equal to the square root of the total number participating. Horse shoe groups is started by giving problems to the
students and followed by the tutor circulated round the groups, listening, and asking or answering questions. Seminar is a group discussion with intellectual
24 aims led by the tutor and focused on arising issues from the subject matter.
Tutorials develop students’ power of thoughts. The subject is considered by the tutor to promote students’ development. Syndicate is used to exercise control over
the content and provide students the opportunity to express their ideas. Case study is a kind of simulation of real-life situation which allows a problem to be studied
in a complex form. Peer tutoring harness students’ ability to explain and help others over basic misconceptions and more advanced problems. Project is a
learning task in which the choice of topic and direction is given toward students. Moreover, the outcome of the task is unpredictable. Games are described as group
exercises in which players co-operate on complete within a set of explicit rules. However, if a scenario is provided, it is called a simulation. Free on associative
discussion encourages the students to speak spontaneously to each other. The tutor only directs students’ attention by listening, refraining comments, and revealing
thoughts and feelings of the students. Brainstorming is one of the parts of a creative problem-solving procedure. Moreover, it stimulates creative thinking in
which ideas are produced and developed. Synectics use analogues and metaphors, encourages ideas, and pays attention to the role of the leader to be helpful in
overcoming blocks to creative thinking.