LANGUAGE classes often have students with varying ability. Teachers probably faced classes with two or more distinct levels of ability. And, teachers have to try to figure out how to meet the needs of each and every student in class.
Tim Bowen, a teacher and teacher trainer at Embassy CES Language and Training Centre in the UK, believes it is essential to emphasize the need for teamwork and the need to use English whenever possible in classroom communication.
Doing work in pairs and in groups is essential if teachers want to involve every member of the class. One fundamental technique here is the use of questionnaires and interviews. Weaker students can be paired with stronger ones. Both of them can be involved in the preparation and implementation of the questionnaire. Teachers need to ensure maximum participation of all students. Teachers can get weaker students to interview the stronger ones.
A second area of activity that can be productive in mixed ability classes is project work. This can be successful when the stronger helps the weaker. Another approach is to form groups that are at approximately the same level and assign different tasks that are appropriate to the level of the group. By adjusting the complexity of the task, teachers can ensure that each group has a task that it can do successfully. This provides the correct level of challenge for the higher level students and doesn't demotivate the weaker ones.
A third area is that of homework. If a teacher gives the whole class the same homework, irrespective of their level, then the teacher has to expect very mixed results. The purpose of homework is the same as for progress tests. It has to consolidate class work. To this end, giving weaker students less demanding tasks can help motivate them and can give them further practice in areas of the language they have not yet mastered. Assigning more challenging tasks to the stronger students in the group should ensure that they remain motivated and continue to make progress.
Finally, be diplomatic in your questioning. A teacher should try to avoid putting weaker students "on the spot". Don't choose them to be the first to answer a question in open class. Instead, a teacher should try to encourage attentive listening in class by asking a stronger student first and then asking a weaker student to repeat the answer.
This may take some time, but once this style of interaction becomes a habit, it can be very productive in terms of class dynamics.
