ESL Classroom Seating Arrangements

How an ESL classroom is arranged can make all the difference in helping students learn. Here are a few different ways to set up an English classroom so that students can get the most out of their time with their teacher and classmates.

Rows: Rows are most conducive to lecture-style lessons and teaching. This might be best done for certain types of choral drills or so that everyone can see the teacher and the board during a grammar lesson. However, it is least conducive to class exercises where students are to perform role plays or other interactive activities.

Circle/Square: When chairs, tables or desks are placed in a circle or square, students can see each other and the teacher more clearly than if they are arranged in rows. This arrangement is best used for discussions and for activities where students are answering more open-ended questions. Pairs can easily work together on dialogues, too. Students feel that they are on more of an equal footing with each other and the teacher in this type of set-up.

Horseshoe: This arrangement is characterized by the equal status of all students and teacher, just as in the circular/square arrangement. It also facilitates easy viewing of the chalkboard or white board by all students should notes or explanations be written on them by the teacher. Discussions can also more easily take place in the horseshoe arrangement than in the row set-up. Students can see each other's faces, and they can interpret others' body language as they speak to get a better understanding of what is being said.

Back-to-Back: When two chairs are placed back to back, students working in pairs are able to practice their listening skills. They cannot rely on body language or facial expressions to help them understand what is being said in English. This kind of activity can develop skills where it is necessary to understand and respond quickly to spoken English, such as answering the telephone.

The different arrangements of students in a classroom facilitate different types of lessons and learning. The arrangement should be changed at regular intervals, though not too often. Students will learn to communicate and express themselves when they are seated in an arrangement that encourages them to self- and peer correct when they take part in pair and group activities designed to improve their English skills.