Another feature of group work is that the actual communication is nearly always conducted in Japanese, which may seem ironic in an English class. This will depend on the goals of the course; negotiation of question types or increased English proficiency. In a context other than TOEIC reading, there would certainly be the expectation that learners would try to speak in English, such as practice for the speaking component of the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test.
When curriculum planners develop a specific type of course, such as ESP, they decide what type of content to present, how much is appropriate for an activity, lesson or sequence of lessons and whether this material is covered earlier or later in a lesson or course. Perhaps more importantly, when considering what they expect learners to achieve and how, there should be a conscious assessment of learner needs. A potential flaw is an assumption that students actually chose to enroll in an ESP course and perhaps intend to take an official TOEIC test. However, in both respects, this is not always the case. Nevertheless, instructors faced with a large class of students who for various reasons do not wish to rigorously prepare for any particular language proficiency test can still enjoy the benefits of enhanced student input and motivation by using the group work approach outlined.
When does most learning occur?
An essential component of lesson planning incorporating the suggested TOEIC group work methodology relies on instructors asking themselves.
"What is the most productive phase and skill for learners?"
Student might well assume that the most important goal is to receive the correct answers in the second phase of the lesson. They want to check whether their answers are correct and it is perhaps the time at which learner attention is most focused.
Although scores are a factor in the motivation of learners, their meaning should be viewed in the context of the processes in which they were achieved. This supports the fourth major point of Davies (1995; p.12); the integration of TOEIC and communication. Direct integration can only be achieved through communicative activities such as discussion around TOEIC core input or highlighting TOEIC tactics derived from communicative tasks. Indirect integration come 'via awareness-raising tasks applied to TOEIC input' (Davies 1995, p.12). It is suggested that the initial phase of a lesson, incorporating group discussion is where most learning occurs. This is not owing to the time spent on this phase, but the quality of active participation.
Given the limited hours of formal instruction, the use of strategies in an ESP class that can motivate students provide a more realistic goal for a successful course than concerted test preparation. Again, the emphasis on content is tempered by the reality of time constraints within a single lesson and course. An appropriate syllabus should reflect this reality by not stating that students will be able to successfully complete a particular language proficiency test. If so, course goals may be too difficult to achieve. Course planners should be satisfied if learners can become familiar with how to approach the types of test items they may encounter, as more realistic ESP course aims include a focus on developing test skills.