In mixed proficiency/ability classes our students may differ in terms of language level, learning style (visual, kinaesthetic, auditory), age, interests, learner motivation etc. Depending on the overall purpose of the lesson and factors such as the number of students in each class, their level of discipline etc., reaching and achieving our teaching goals can be a real challenge to many language teachers. This blog post will focus on highlighting some key ways of exploiting mixed levels in order to promote foreign language learning in these difficult to tackle scenarios.
References
Guariento W. & Morley J. (2001) Text and task authenticity in the EFL classroom. ELT Journal Vol 55/4, October 2001. Oxford University Press
Harmer, J. (2001). The practice of English language teaching. Longman.
Hedge, T. (2000). Teaching and learning in the language classroom. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Nunan, D., & Lamb, C. 1996. The Self-Directed teacher: Managing the learning
Process. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 158-167.
Nuttall, C. (1996) Teaching Reading Skills in a foreign language Heinemann
Prodromou, L. 1992. Mixed Ability Classes. London: Macmillan.
Scrivener, J. (1994). Learning Teaching. Oxford: Heinemann
Ur, P. 1996. A Course in Language Teaching: Practice and Theory. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press. Module 21: Large, heterogeneous classes.
Watkins, P. (2008). Learning to teach English: A practical introduction for new teachers. Delta Publishing.
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