We invited educators from around the world to share their questions about teaching teen English language learners. Dr. Jodi Crandall is here to provide answers!
To read Part 1 of Jodi’s Q&A with our educator community, click here.
“How do you manage a group of English as a foreign language teenagers when they do not have the same level of English (some are beginners, others intermediate, and others advanced), especially when the school administration requires you to teach from one level?” – Anonymous Educator, Mexico
“Do you have advice for teaching a mixed class?” – Anonymous Educator, Vietnam
JC: I think every class we ever teach is a “mixed class,” since our students may not just be at different levels in their overall proficiency (beginner, intermediate, or advanced); they will also differ in which skill is their best (reading, speaking, listening, writing), in their interests, and in so many other ways. But let’s focus on their overall proficiency and different levels in their language skills.
Similar Groups
You may want to form groups with similar strengths and assign them tasks that let them use that strength.
You may also want to group them by their overall proficiency, giving students in each group a task that is at their level. This also will provide you with time to help students who are having more difficulty and allow students who are more proficient to talk with others who are close to their level or share the same strengths.
Mixed Groups
Alternatively, you may want to assign students to mixed groups, grouping them with tasks that are intended for different levels or skills. If you assign them to groups based on their overall proficiency, it is probably best to group those with the least proficiency with (lower) intermediates and group (higher) intermediates with those who are more advanced.
You could also group students who are best at speaking with those who are best at writing and have them work together to summarize something or identify what they were most interested in from the lesson or materials.
A tip: Make sure you have some activities that are open-ended, such as asking students in groups to list as many things as they can about something that they have been reading or viewing. Give them a short time frame and then have each group report back, while you or other students create a master list.
They may want to do this in a round robin. Have the first student write one idea on a sheet of paper and then slide that paper to the next person, who adds an idea.
You can also do this with speaking in a fun activity. Each person tries to repeat what the others have said before adding their idea. Naturally, this is difficult, and there is likely to be some laughter as your teens try to remember what others have said. It’s also a great way for students to have to listen and to reuse the grammar or vocabulary from the unit and to remember it.
Another tip: Give students choices on how they will demonstrate what they are learning. Allow them to use their strengths and then share those with small groups who made the same choice and then, perhaps, have those groups share them with the whole class. It’s OK to have them draw or create diagrams, lists, or phrases. They don’t have to write or speak in full sentences.
Another tip: Have additional activities (such as a project) for those students who finish before others. You could ask them to write a blog, email, cartoon, or almost any type of text about the most interesting thing they have learned or the questions they would like to ask the people who wrote the text or appeared in a video. You can also ask them to decide what they want to write about.
Almost every class is a mixed class, and that’s a great opportunity to embrace! by thoughtfully grouping students, offering open-ended tasks, and giving them choices in how they demonstrate learning, you can create space for learners of different proficiency levels to thrive.
If you found Jodi’s advice useful, keep reading…
Want more tips for teaching teens from experts in the field of ELT? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Don’t forget to select ‘Teens’ and any other segments you’re interested in.
