Group Work: B2+. Patrick McMahon

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СКАЧАТЬ emphasis on team building in professional life demonstrates why you should place importance on team building in your student life.

      

Exercise 5

      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 day’s 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.

      

Exercise 6

      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.

      

Exercise 7

      Read about the students below and think about the roles and responsibilities in Exercise 6. Which person might be suitable for each role and why?

Fatimah	Often helps her friends with computer problems; runs a website for family business and uses many different computer programmes for a range of activities and hobbies including photography.
David	Interested in all sorts of technology and gadgets; good with his hands; a keen cyclist and regularly works on his bike to improve its performance.
Lora	Very efficient and well organized; popular with others; loves going out with friends and organizing parties and outings for them; good at helping others to sort out problems, so people often ask for her help; not very interested in creative tasks.
Jinjie	Academically very strong; has always done well in maths and science; has worked in parents’ business and is comfortable using spreadsheet software and formulas for calculating rows of figures and creating charts and diagrams.
Eduardo	Very creative and artistic; loves drawing and painting; very good with technology and can use a wide range of computer software for many different uses.

       Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise. СКАЧАТЬ