After intensive preparation by the teacher, students become responsible for their own learning and teaching. The new material is divided into small units and student groups of not more than three people are formed. Each group familiarizes itself with a strictly defined area of new material and gets the assignment to teach the whole group in this area. One important aspect is that LdL should not be confused with a student-as-teacher-centered method. The material should be worked on didactically and methodologically (impulses, social forms, summarizing phases etc.). The teaching students have to make sure their audience has understood their message/topic/grammar points and therefore use different means to do so (e.g. short phases of group or partner exercises, comprehension questions, quizzes etc.)
Most teachers using the method do not apply it in all their classes or all the time. They state the following advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages:
Student work is more motivated, efficient, active and intensive due to lowered inhibitions and an increased sense of purpose
By eliminating the class' division of authoritative teacher and passive audience, an emotive solidarity is obtained.
Students may perform many routine tasks, otherwise unnecessarily carried out by the instructor
Next to subject-related knowledge students gain important key qualifications like
- teamwork
- planning abilities
- reliability
- presentation and moderation skills
- self-confidence
Disadvantages
The introduction of the method requires a lot of time.
Students and teachers have to work more than usual.
There is a danger of simple duplication, repetition or monotony if the teacher does not provide periodic didactic impetus.