| One of the most difficult situations for the language | | | | Here is a possible outline for the lesson: |
| teacher is a group which includes students of different | | | | 1) The first activity is a warm-up consolidating the |
| levels, of varying learning ability, or even both. The | | | | simple past, which all students have met before. |
| class has to be organized so that no-one needs to | | | | 2) The class then splits into two groups. The |
| feel they're wasting time waiting for the others or | | | | elementary and weaker intermediate students remain |
| alternatively, that they are "out of their depth" in | | | | with the teacher for a systematic presentation of the |
| comparison to other members of the group. How do | | | | new structure, while the other, stronger students work |
| you design a lesson to meet all the varying needs? | | | | independently at the computer on a second simple |
| One way of coping with this situation is to abandon | | | | past consolidation activity -this might be a short listening |
| lockstep teaching (all of the students working on the | | | | or reading activity. |
| same activity at the same time) for at least part of the | | | | 3) When the teacher has finished the presentation, the |
| lesson, so that the teacher can work intensively with | | | | class comes back together to do a receptive practice |
| one sub-group while the others work independently. | | | | activity which asks them to distinguish between the |
| This, of course, means that you need to have suitable | | | | two verb forms. |
| materials for autonomous study on hand. These could | | | | 4) The class then divides into two groups again. The |
| be in any format, but if you have computers available | | | | stronger students return to the computer and work on |
| in the classroom, the easiest solution is to use on-line | | | | activities which consolidate the present perfect at their |
| materials. | | | | own level. These activities could be grammar practice, |
| It would be possible, of course, to make these | | | | a listening consolidation, or whatever the teacher thinks |
| materials the sole basis of the lessons. Each student | | | | is right for those students at that point. Meanwhile the |
| works through a course at his/her own level while the | | | | lower level students stay with the teacher to complete |
| teacher circulates, monitors and gives help , explanation | | | | some controlled practice work. |
| and practice as necessary. In groups where the | | | | 5) The groups then change over. The stronger |
| students are of widely differing levels, this could well be | | | | students work with the teacher on some |
| the best solution. But with others, where the difference | | | | semi-controlled or freer practice, while the others work |
| is less extreme, it's also possible to integrate the | | | | independently at their own level - which may or may |
| autonomous work into more traditional full class | | | | not mean completing the same activities done by the |
| lessons. | | | | stronger students at stage four. |
| As an example, let's look at a mixed level EFL group | | | | 6) Finally the group comes back into lockstep and |
| including students from upper-elementary to | | | | works on an activity organized in one of the following |
| mid-intermediate levels. The next area to be covered | | | | ways: |
| in the course they are following is the present perfect | | | | Students are grouped in mixed high/low level pairs |
| for past to present events - for example, He's worked | | | | with the stronger student having a more challenging |
| here for the last five months. For the upper-elementary | | | | role |
| students this is a completely new structure, and they're | | | | Again, students are paired high/low and complete |
| going to need a systematic presentation as well as a | | | | an activity in which the strong students help the |
| lot of controlled practice before they can go on to | | | | weaker ones |
| freer activities using the structure. But for the | | | | Students are paired or grouped with others of the |
| mid-intermediate students, the lesson is only revision | | | | same ability - high/high, low/low - and work on an |
| and consolidation. | | | | activity at their own level. |