How can I solve the problem of teaching English language in mixed ability classes (high level pupils and low level pupils in the same class)?
How do you work with mixed ability classes? What problems do you find?How do you solve them? Are there any benefits? If you have any suggestions for Amel, or comments on this topic, contact us.
This question is from Amel
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rebecca1
There are many ways to teach a class of mixed levels. For instance, students at both ends can be grouped together and the lower level ones can get help from the top level ones who volunteer to offer help when they have difficulties. Also teachers can ask the higher level students to answer difficult questions and assign them to be models to do certain difficult exercises. Lower level students may be encouraged to do the easier tasks
according to their levels. That may not only save the precious class time, but also help to maximise class participation and increase the confidence of the lower level students. If they cannot answer the questions, then their embarrassment may cause them to be more passive and pessimistic, or think that the teacher may want to embarrass them that will have a negative effect on learners. However if you are a native speaker of English, you have to try your best to use whatever is available to help learners understand what you have meant slowly and bit by bits.
Sergiy Tyupa, Ukraine
I had the same problem as Amel last semester while teaching English to students whose major was German. Some of them had studied English at school and were almost fluent, others had to start from the alphabet. It was very challenging for a number of reasons.
If I had chosen to work with some basic things, "strong" students would have been bored and would have lost their motivation to study. If I had given them more complicated material,"weak" students would have felt frustrated and inferior.
This is what I choose to do...
To put it briefly...
KryptonKnight
I'm teaching English to a class of adults whose level of English varies a great deal. Most are absolute learners. However, I do have at least two students who are fairly at Elementary level, maybe even Low- Intermediate level.There are always level differences between students within a single class, more or less obvious. But I never had such a level disparity in a class.
After reading so many invaluable advice, I certainly have two resources I should use: open tasks and graded tasks.
Most of these students are really beginners. So I was thinking of using the Beginner Course of Headway(OUP). However, if I use the Beginner Level, it's most likely that I will bore the students in higher levels, for even if I grade the task to something a bit more complex, I'm quite sure they will find it quite easy to accomplish, because it's such a basic level. On the other hand, if I use the "Headway-Elementary level", for instance, I'm quite sure I could accommodate the necessities of the higher level students, but I will almost certainly compromise the acceptance and level of the majority of the class.
Some say that is quite feasible to teach an absolute beginner with an Elementary level. However, and speaking from previous experience, I find it more convenient to start from Beginner. The amount of information given in the Elementary level is much larger, which to a beginner, can be overwhelming.
Another thing that bothers me is the disruption that the grading of tasks may lead to. I mean, it's just hard for me to picture having to manage such a different levels within a single class.
I would ask for ideas and advice from colleagues, who already had their share of toil when dealing with mixed-ability classes.
Regards
Paulo