Learning a Language: Alone VS in Groups? Pros & Cons

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When learning a foreign language the logical question is “What is better: studying alone or in groups?”. There are many variants and today we will talk about the features of learning a foreign language individually or with other students in a group.

Any language is first and foremost a tool of communication, and learning a foreign language in a group or with another person is not the only possible option (for example, you can study individually and/or independently), but in some situations it is the best option and probably even necessary. In this article we’ll explain all advantages and disadvantages of group and individual language learning.

What is better group or individual learning

Advantages and disadvantages of learning a foreign language in a group

This way of learning foreign languages has its pros and cons. Most often they are determined by your personality characteristics – your character and emancipation. Let’s look at them in more detail.

Advantages

There are many advantages to learning a language in a group.

One of the main pluses of learning a foreign language in a group is the opportunity to interact with other people.

This affects the practice of the language itself, especially the speaking skill.

In a group, you can easily simulate different communication situations, practice different dialogues and memorize different stable expressions. When studying with a teacher individually something similar is also possible, but the dialogue of the teacher-student is still different from the dialogue of two students. And you can’t simulate some of the situations that you can simulate in a group anyway.

Studying with other people, you get some psychological support: your fellow students can support you and help you at the right moment, and sometimes it’s just great to discuss some moments of the lesson together or laugh at a joke.

Interacting with other students in a group can also promote learning through a kind of competition – some people are spurred on and pushed forward by healthy competition. You may be one of those people.

Disadvantages

Often interaction with other people when learning a foreign language can be a negative factor.

If you are studying in a group, the larger the group, the less attention the teacher gets to each individual student.

This can be especially detrimental in a situation where there is a big difference in language proficiency between the students in the group. While the teacher is explaining something to the laggards, the “stronger” students will be bored, and if the teacher focuses on students with a higher level, the “weaker” students will find it hard to work in such a group.

Competition can also have a negative impact, because not everyone likes to compete.

A negative factor can be relationships between students in the group, we are all different people, with different characters and temperaments, not always communication in the group will go smoothly, and this can affect the success of the study.

Also, if you are an introvert, you may simply find it more difficult to study in a group with a large number of students.

What are the main features of learning a foreign language in a group?

While working in a group you will have to periodically adjust to the level of knowledge or personal characteristics of other students.

It is important to understand that if you for some reason miss a few classes in a group, it will “leave” you behind, and you can not just start where you left off – you will need to join the group classes on the current topic, while catching up on the missed material.

For whom group language learning is suitable

This approach is for you if you are an extrovert and like to communicate with other people. Socializing and having fun will be an additional motivation in learning.

If you need some competition, or you just want someone to “keep you company” in the classroom, you should also choose group training.

The main factor is if you want to emphasize the skill of speaking and communicating in your target language, because to practice this skill you need someone to talk to, and this is sometimes lacking, for example, when learning a new language on your own.

Group Study Time

As these lessons are usually taught by a teacher or in a language school, it usually takes one to one and a half hours and one or more times a week.

The price of group classes

The price of a group class varies greatly, depending on the way the language is studied and the region in which it is taught.

Language schools charge different fees, depending on the status and location of the school and on the course chosen – you will most likely be able to find an option that suits you. Some schools have the option to have a trial or demonstration lesson at a reduced price.

The price of group learning of foreign languages

What is better: learning a language in groups or alone

It all depends on your situation. Sometimes it’s better to study individually or on your own, sometimes it’s better to study in a group, and sometimes it’s better to combine both methods. However, to get a more correct answer, let’s look at both options separately and find out their pros and cons.

Studying alone – Pros and Cons

Solitude. You can study in peace and quiet, without worrying that someone will disturb the learning process.

Independent distribution of time. Nobody tells you what you have to study. You can make your own schedule, devoting time to grammar and conversation.

Your own pace of work. A person studying alone, correctly calculates their strength, focusing on what they do not understand. The quality of lessons increases when you know what you know worse or better.

Lack of communication. Foreign languages are more effective to learn by talking to other people. Traveling abroad to learn a language through communication with foreigners has become a frequent practice.

No supervision. Homework, having a tutor puts certain limits on the learner. It is easier to be lazy at home, which lowers productivity.

Learning in a group – Pros and Cons

Socialization. Interaction with people will simplify the learning process and make it more interesting.

Mutual exchange of experience. It’s possible to ask for help from more experienced people or vice versa.

A stable schedule according to which meetings are held. Thus it is possible to avoid gaps, long absence of practice.

Working with professionals. Teachers on the courses have passed through more than one student – they, like teachers at school, have formed their own experience and ability to optimize the learning process.

Cost. Studying at home on your own is mostly free, whereas any language courses are paid for.

Bad option for introverts. Some people don’t feel comfortable being in society, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of lessons.

Lack of approach to each student. Lessons with other people tend to get stuck on one topic until everyone understands it. And it does not matter that someone has long mastered it and has not moved on for a few visits.

Speaking of learning speed, if you’re curious about how long it usually takes a person to learn a language, read this article. You can find a lot of interesting insights there!

Summary

If you want to really progress in language learning, you need to spend some time working on your own, whether you want to or not. Group or individual lessons with a teacher, if you have them, will not be enough.

After all, you need to do your homework, work through new material (read books, watch movies, listen to songs) and, be sure, learn new words.

But how do you properly gather all the new words in one place and start learning them effectively? You can keep your own dictionary in Langavia Personal Dictionary app and turn all new words you want to know into language cards. Going through the game exercises, you will be able to learn new words effectively. After a few weeks of 15-30 minutes of daily study you will already feel the first real results and wonder how you could cope without such a tool before.

Choose a way to learn the language according to your preferences. Take into account the efficiency, the training plan, the cost to make the right choice.

What is better: Group Or Individual Learning? Pros&Cons