2 Chapter I planning a comprehension instructional sequence lesson…

Advantages of teaching mixed ability classes

If you are new to teaching, you might be wondering what is meant by a mixed-ability class. A mixed-ability class, also called a heterogeneous class, means that you have students in the same class who have various levels of language proficiency. Mixed-ability and heterogeneous are, to some extent, misleading terms, as no two learners have identical proficiencies, especially in a language learning class. Thus, homogeneous classes cannot and do not exist, and all classes, in fact, are heterogeneous. However, mixed-ability is used to describe those classes where significant gaps are present in learning proficiencies in one, single class, and the weaknesses, strengths, and approaches to learning of the students are notable.

In this article, we will look at factors that affect the ‘mixed-ability-ness’ of your class, possible problems that ESL teachers face, advantages to teaching these classes, and tips and strategies for dealing with these classes (and students). There are numerous problems and challenges that EFL teachers will and can face

when teaching mixed-ability classes. From the Wits Language these are some typical problems:

In addition to these problems above, there are also other challenges that EFL teachers face. One of these is discipline, and this ties in closely with management This challenge usually occurs when the students in the class feel frustrated; the stronger (or advanced students) may feel that they are not being challenged enough and are not learning as much as they can, while the weaker (or – more politically correct term – less advanced) students feel that the tasks and learning materials are0 too difficult or the teacher does not assist them enough.

Secondly, student participation is another worry. In a mixed-ability class, the teacher will find that the stronger students generally participate more than the less advanced students. This may be due to the shy nature of the less advanced students or because they are very aware that they are not the top students in the class and are scared of getting the answer wrong. Lack of participation can also lead to the less advanced students performing even less (or worse) in class. Ideally, you want all students to participate equally in class; however, this is almost never the case.

The third challenge stems from individual awareness in that the EFL teacher may not be able to follow and track the progress of all the students as closely, and further to this, the teacher might not be able to devote the time and attention needed to less advanced students. In a mixed-ability class, the teacher might find that they spend too much time on the stronger students; an effort should be made to spend more time assisting the less advanced students.