Learners’ Perceptions of Small Group Discussions: A Qualitative Study in an ESL Context

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-563-8_17How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Group Discussion; ESL Learners; Speaking Proficiency

Abstract

Group discussion is frequently employed as an assessment method for evaluating English-speaking proficiency among second language learners. Despite the introduction of various instructional approaches to develop learners’ techniques, roles, and language use in discussions, many continue to face challenges in performing such tasks effectively. This study examines the effectiveness of small group discussion activities in enhancing learners’ speaking performance. A qualitative action research design was adopted, involving ESL learners. A 15–20-min group discussion was conducted once across three weeks, after which structured interviews were carried out among eight participants. The collected data were analysed thematically to identify recurring patterns and insights. The findings indicate that learners perceived small group discussions positively and expressed a preference for them over pair work due to clarity of roles and autonomy, group size and frequency of practice. The study underscores the pedagogical value of small group discussions as classroom practice. By addressing learners’ specific difficulties, instructors can design more effective speaking activities that foster both improved classroom performance and the transfer of discussion skills to authentic communicative contexts.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Nor Afifa Nordin
AU  - Nursyafiqah Zabidin
AU  - Sumayyah Shaidin
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/04/28
TI  - Learners’ Perceptions of Small Group Discussions: A Qualitative Study in an ESL Context
BT  - Proceedings of the 4th International Conference of Research on Language 2025 (IROLE 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 218
EP  - 227
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-563-8_17
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-563-8_17
ID  - Nordin2026
ER  -