Abstract:

The paper is dedicated to working in pairs during the classes at University. It is based on research that was carried both in Russia and England before and during the COVID pandemic. Several decades ago, working in pairs was not practiced and even allowed at all in Russia. Now, this educational technique is very popular both in Europe and Russia. It is believed that this technique helps students to obtain communication skills, train how to become a good team player, and there is a concern that all students like it. However, the survey results were quite surprising and highlighted some pros and cons of this method of offline education. The paper also covers the period of a pandemic. Zoom has allowed organizing work in pairs, and the author was practicing it a lot. Work in pairs became more attractive during the pandemic and brought some new forms of socialization during times of lockdown and self-isolation. Several interviews and polls have demonstrated some advantages and necessity of this technique when teaching online. Furthermore, the research provides the difference in students' attitudes from different countries toward this method of work.

Keywords:

Teaching English, team work, work in pairs, in-person education, online education.