kind of activities can help students to develop their language communicative competence.
Based on the explanation above, it can be concluded that group work is a technique in teaching learning, which it can encourage students to do
the task together, solve a problem or do a role-play. It also provide more opportunities for students to talk more in the class and use the language much
more than they do in a whole-class.
2. Characteristics of Group Work
There are five characteristics of group work according to Leuck and his friends, they are:
a. Group work has a common objective and spirit. The members of group work recognize the goal and consider their responsibility. A cooperative
spirit of each member in group work is encouraged by the teacher. b. Group work means learning experience. Through group organization, each
member of the group may work cooperatively, share their ideas, make decisions and accept their responsibilities; these kinds of activities will
engage students after they graduated. c. Group work makes the flexible leadership. In group work, there are
opportunities for each student to develop their leadership, because each student may have the capability.
d. Group work has the maximum participation. Each member of a group should be active in the group activities, such as planning, discussing, and
evaluating. e. The teachers should monitor the activities in group work; give suggestion
and improvement in the activities.
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Lueck, et al, Effective Secondary Education, New York:Burgess Publishing, 1966, p. 256
Zoltan Dornyei and Tim Murphey quoted from Ehrman and Dornyei 1998 identified the characteristics of a group, there are:
1. There is some interaction among group members. 2. Group members perceive themselves as a distinct unit and
demonstration a level of commitment to it. 3. Group members share some purpose or goal for being together.
4. The group endures for a reasonable period of time i. e. not only for minutes.
5. The group has developed some sort of a salient ‘internal structure’, which includes:
the regulation of entry and departure intofrom group; rules and standards of behavior for members;
relatively stable interpersonal relationship patterns and an established status hierarchy;
some division of group roles.
6. Finally, as a direct consequence of the above points, the group is held accountable for its members’ action.
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According to Lueck and Dornyei, the writer can concluded that the characteristic of group work could be made as a reference for her to use the
technique in the class or use by other teachers who wants to use group work in teaching learning.
3. Advantages and Disadvantages of Group Work a. Advantages
