3 Dealing with problems
Working in groups of three, discuss the best response to the following situations. You
may choose an alternative strategy to the ones provided.
(a) In a group of six, you find that two students are not doing any work. Not only do
they not come to meetings, but they have not done the tasks they were given at the
beginning. Should you...
(i) decide that it’s simplest to do the work of the missing students yourself?
(ii) find the students and explain that their behaviour is going to damage the
chances of all six members?
(iii) tell your lecturer about the problem?
(b) You are the only non-native speaker in the group. Although you can understand
normal speech, the other students speak so fast and idiomatically that you have
difficulty taking part in the discussions. Should you...
(i) tell your lecturer about the problem?
(ii) keep quiet and ask another student in the group to explain decisions later?
(iii) explain your problem to the group and ask them to speak more slowly?
(c) One member of the group is very dominant. He/she attempts to control the group
and is intolerant of the opinions of others. Should you...
(i) explain to them, in a group meeting, that their behaviour is having a negative
effect on the group’s task?
(ii) tell your lecturer about the problem?
(iii) let them do all the work, because that’s what they seem to want?
4 Points to remember
Finally, remember that:
- Working in groups is an ideal opportunity to make new friends – make the most of it.
- You may learn a lot by listening to other people’s ideas.
- Negotiation is important in a group – nobody is right all the time.
- Respect the values and attitudes of others, especially people from different cultures – you
may be surprised what you learn.
84 Part 1: The Writing Process