**4.2 Theme 2: seating arrangements**

It was observed that two student teachers had seated their learners in small groups, while the other four had their learners seated in the traditional way (in rows as in a bus). During interviews, the two student teachers who had seated their learners in groups, reported that the seating arrangement was very helpful in their lesson presentations as this facilitated group work both as a strategy for discussion, as well as support or scaffolding for weaker learners and in addition, it allowed the teacher to interact with each group on a more personal level.

*They are seated in groups and the stronger ones mixed with the weaker ones. They help each other when is time for assignments. (Student Teacher 1)*

*I walk around the groups when learners are doing their tasks and help learners with special needs. I use group discussions. (Student Teacher 3)*

The four student teachers who had seated their learners in traditional rows complained that the classes were too big (too many learners), and because of the lack of space, it was difficult for them to arrange them in smaller groups.

*There is not enough space for groups in the venues. I can hardly find space to move around. (Student Teacher 2)*

*It seems it is impossible to make groups due to overcrowding. The teachers here prefer this arrangement. (Student Teacher 5)*

*Strategies Used by UNISA Student Teachers in Teaching English First Additional Language DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99662*

The results revealed that while two student teachers seated learners in small groups, others allowed learners to be seated in traditional rows. The student teachers who had seated learners in small groups, saw the benefit of such an arrangement, since other learners in the group supported slower learners [42]. The small group seating arrangement established by these student teachers motivated them to create a conducive teaching and learning environment and facilitate the teaching and learning process. However, the student teachers who had seated learners in the traditional rows complained about overcrowding. Overcrowding, which is a serious problem in many township schools, is accompanied by serious shortages of resources and facilities and makes the teaching and learning process a difficult task for many teachers in these schools [24, 25]. The implication is that the teachers in schools that utilise the traditional seating arrangement may be powerless to bring about any changes. This situation could be challenging for student teachers and have an effect on their performance in the classroom and their ability to use interactive strategies in teaching EFAL.
