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“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” ― William Arthur Ward. Many English courses and programs emphasize teaching students in groups and therefore many teachers find it difficult to adapt when the need arises to teach one on one lessons. However, in recent years there has been an increase in the demand for one on one lessons and according to the International TEFL and TESOL Training (n.d.), students tend to prefer one on one teaching as opposed to being taught in a group. This essay seeks to define/characterize one on one teaching versus group teaching in a classroom and to discuss the differences. The most common type of teaching in the classroom is that of group lessons and this is what most training materials, lesson plans and created materials are formulated around. One reason for this is that it is less time consuming. Imagine a teacher focusing on each student individually in a class of 30 students; it would lead to some students being neglected, less productivity and teacher would suffer from fatigue and extra levels of stress. In group teachings, the teacher has the advantage of utilizing peer assignments and group activities which would not be practical with one to one lessons. In group classes, the teacher can employ activities as early as the Engage Stage (of the ESA Framework) to get students feeling comfortable as their peers participate in a friendly and comfortable atmosphere. During the Study and Activate phase gap filling activities, games and challenges can be completed together increasing class participation and involvement. Such activities can foster friendships and help reluctant and shy students to ‘come out of their shells’. Teaching is an art, and it is considered more efficient (and easier) for an artist to present their masterpiece to a group of persons than individuals. Inexperienced teachers benefit from as much materials/tools and guidance notes at their disposal to be effective in the classroom, these materials are focused primarily on group lessons. As stated earlier, the demand continues to increase for one to one lessons. These lessons as the term suggest focuses on teachers teaching individual students. It tends to be more student focused and the teacher can move at a pace more comfortable to the specific student. In one to one classes, the teacher does not have to deal with a mixed group, the student is usually more motivated and the specific student requirement can be identified and met. The increase in attention towards the student, while potentially increases participation can also be intimidating for both teacher and learner. Additionally, one to one teaching drastically decreases in the range of activities teachers can use; meaning no group activities which equal to less fun. In general the lack of syllabus for one to one classes makes it difficult for new and inexperienced teachers. Individual learning means the teacher has to assign specific homework to an individual student rather to a group. This means that the student gets an assignment focused on their development and learning compared to homework given to a class which may not be challenging enough or too challenging for some students. Finally, as it relates to grading, it is more straightforward doing this for one student as the student should know exactly what is expected of them. Teachers generally are comfortable grading this type of work. Group works/projects can cause snags and may cause some work to be graded unequally. This problem can be solved using rubrics given beforehand. Generally as with any two opposite concepts, there are advantages and disadvantages in the differences. Each student should be given the opportunity to learn a language properly in a way that best suits them. Some students will have special cases and require special attention (age, shy, etc); therefore teachers should be equipped, knowledgeable and motivated to carry out their tasks in the classroom. Reference: The International TEFL and TESOL Training (n.d.) the difference between teaching one to one and groups In the words of one-to-one pioneer, Retrieved April 26, 2019 from: https://www.teflcorp.com/articles/esl-resources/the-difference-between-teaching-one-to-one-and-groups-80/
