What is a good system for creating unique partners/groups for my language students?

I am interested in having a system for changing partners in my language classes so I can always guarantee all my students meet each other just once during an activity. With small numbers it is easy. For example, if I have four students numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, then I know there are 3 different combinations of partners, and I can visually figure out those combinations. Also, since there is an even number, nobody is left out.





However, I often have different numbers of students in my classes, and many students


(20-35).





Can anyone think of a good system/formula that will work with any size group of students. Note, it will have to be a system that I can show/explain to my students, so they can figure out who their next partner will be. It can be somewhat complex (these are university students), but simplicity is best. I realize also that with an odd group of students, someone will be left out each time partners are meeting (but hopefully a different person each time). Thank you!!What is a good system for creating unique partners/groups for my language students?
I do not know a numbered system. These are a couple that I have used:





Place the desks in 2 circles. One set goes around the other that is facing them. Half of the students stay seated. The outside group moves one seat to the left (or right) each time they switch. This way every person meets each other.





Another thing that I have done does not guarantee that EVERY person meets, but most do. I make a chart/table with verbs and/or vocab. The students go around and randomly ask a classmate a question from their chart and the classmate answers. They then sign the box as verification that they answered (and it helps the asker to know which questions they have used). I call it a People Finder. Sometimes you can do it as a game and they have to get like a Bingo; find a straight line of activities that people in the classroom can answer affirmatively.What is a good system for creating unique partners/groups for my language students?
In my ESL classrooms I tend to pair strong students with weak students so that they can help one another. This does not work as well in assessment work as the stronger student will often feel jilted unless you ave failsafes.





Larger groups tend to work better (even though they tend to be more intimidating) for assessment tasks. In this case I try to put at least one strong student in each group.





Sometimes it helps to put students that speak the same language in groups together as they can explain concepts to each other in their own language. Although, I try to put a couple of different language groups together so that they are forced to speak English for a majority of the time.





Good luck.





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Teacher at an International School
picking names out of a hat...using participation cards and just drawing a couple of names at random. Or just letting your students choose their partners. Speaking as a student at the community college level I'm not much into instructors pairing me up with people, because there are some people in the class who I don't work well with and others who I work well with. I'd rather work with those who I know aren't going to be distracted easily and who know the material. For me there's nothing worse than working with someone who isn't at least one chapter ahead where we are supposed to be on the syllabus and it's difficult for me to slow my rate of learning down just to accomadate someone else. I'd rather work with people who know the material...it doesn't help if one partner does all the work and the other does nothing but talk to their friends. There are times, however when I don't mind working with people who are slightly behind, because then I can sort of slow down and maybe get to know that person. But the truth is I'm not in college to meet people or to make friends, I'm there to gain skills and a degree.