Fostering risk-taking through pair work activities in an EFL setting: A case study

Abstract

This case study is aimed at fostering risk-taking through the implementation of pair-work activities as a means to enhance high school students’ participation in English classes. I used two qualitative data collection instruments, observations and interviews with six students of EFL at a public school, and the data was compared using constant comparison strategy to gather an in-depth understanding of the problem under study.  The results show that promoting risk-taking through pair work activities has a lot of benefits for the participants. Students became the center of the class, self-monitored their class performance, and enhanced self-esteem to improve their communication skills. In conclusion, the implementation of pair work activities encouraged students to become more efficient English learners and to promote interaction among them.

Key words:  Risk taking, pair-work activities, interaction, participation, class environment