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ФИЛОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ НАУКИ
MIXED-ABILITY CLASSES: FACTORS, CHALLENGES AND ADVANTAGES Alimova D.^ Email: [email protected]
Alimova Dildora Komiljon qizi - Teacher, DEPARTMENT OF THE PRACTICE OF LANGUAGE ASPECTS, UZBEK STATE WORLD LANGUAGES UNIVERSITY, TASHKENT, REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
Abstract: the purpose of this article is to find out how upper secondary English teachers should work in order to reach the weaker students. I am interested in what has been written about mixed-ability classes, the challenges they present and most of all how teachers of English need to work in such classes to reach all students, especially the weaker ones. What is a mixed-ability class? Mixed-ability classes mean classes where students differ greatly in ability, motivation for learning English, needs, interests, educational background, styles of learning, anxiety, experiences and so on (Ainslie, 1994). All teachers have to face the challenge of mixed-ability classes because, according to Tomlinson (1999), Berry & Williams (2002) and Shank (1995), every class is multileveled. Some classes can be more multileveled than others and therefore more challenging for the teacher, but all classes are mixed-ability classes.
Keywords: Mixed-Ability, multilevel ESL classes, L2 learners, differentiated classroom, teaching strategies.
КЛАССЫ СМЕШАННЫХ СПОСОБНОСТЕЙ: ФАКТОРЫ, ПРОБЛЕМЫ И ПРЕИМУЩЕСТВА Алимова Д.К.
Алимова Дильдора Комилжон кизи - преподаватель, кафедра практики языковых аспектов, Узбекский государственный университет мировых языков, г. Ташкент, Республика Узбекистан
Аннотация: цель этой статьи - выяснить, как должны работать учителя старших классов английского языка, чтобы охватить более слабых учеников. Мне интересно, что было написано о классах со смешанными способностями, о проблемах, которые они представляют, и больше всего о том, как учителя английского языка должны работать в таких классах, чтобы охватить всех учеников, особенно слабых. Что такое класс смешанных способностей? Занятия со смешанными способностями означают занятия, в которых ученики сильно различаются по способностям, мотивации к изучению английского языка, потребностям, интересам, образованию, стилю обучения, тревоге, опыту и т.д. (Ainslie, 1994). Всем учителям приходится сталкиваться с проблемой классов со смешанными способностями, потому что, по словам Томлинсона (1999), Берри и Уильямса (2002) и Шэнка (1995), каждый класс является многоуровневым. Некоторые классы могут быть более многоуровневыми, чем другие, и, следовательно, более сложными для учителя, но все классы являются классами со смешанными способностями.
Ключевые слова: смешанная способность, многоуровневые классы ESL, учащиеся L2, дифференцированный класс, стратегии обучения.
As an EFL teacher, it is seldom that you have a class of students who have the same language learning levels. As such, it is well known that mixed-ability classes are the norm and not an exception. 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. A mixed-ability class can seem uncooperative, the students can get bored easily and this can cause commotion in the classroom. Planning the lesson and making work-material can take too much time for the teacher and the planned material is often too easy or too difficult for the students. This may make the teacher feel inadequate and unable to cope with the class (Hess, 2001). 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. There are at least nine factors that can affect learners' characteristics in a single ESL class. These comprise:
• Maturity and age
• Multiple intelligences
• Learning styles
• Language levels and aptitudes
• Native language
• Learner autonomy
• Reason for learning English
• Cultural background
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 classroom 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.
Advantages to Teaching Mixed-Ability Classes
While the challenges and problems associated with mixed-ability classed may seem overwhelming, there are advantages to teaching and learning to manage these classes. Carol Ann Tomlinson, in her book, The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners, might have stated it best: "A secure teacher comes away from today with important questions to puzzle about overnight and the belief that today contains insights necessary for a more effective tomorrow." ESL teachers are provided with plenty of opportunities in mixed-ability classes to further develop as teachers as they need to embrace different problem-solving approaches to help deal with difficulties faced in the classroom and also experiment with a wide range of teaching approaches to see what works best.
In addition to this, other advantages include the fact that from a mixed-ability class, the teacher can tap into different student experiences, knowledge, and ideas to give interesting
student-centered lessons, and in these classes, students can help each other and, by extension, learn a lot from their fellow classmates. One of the most important ways to deal with mixed-ability classes is to always give clear information and instructions and to present it in easy, manageable ways. This contributes to making the students feel it is more meaningful and interesting. A teacher should introduce tasks clearly by using different methods. The teacher should give the students the information in the whole class, and showing an overhead or writing on the board (Kelly, 1974). According to Lessow-Hurley (2003) it is important for the teacher not to rely too much on correctness but to focus on communicative competence and create motivating situations with a calm and welcoming environment where the students know that it is normal to make mistakes as it is a part of the learning process. This can lead to less anxiety among the students. It is also important to set certain rules with the students about how to behave in order not to interfere with a good learning situation.
While it may seem daunting to teach mixed-ability classrooms, EFL teachers should instead see it as a challenge and adventure. As a teacher, you will never be able to grow, develop and learn if you only ever had easy classes to teach. Those are, of course, nice and should be appreciated as such, but mixed-ability classes are challenging and they challenge the teacher teaching them. You need to experiment, adapt and problem-solve, all of which will make you an even better teacher.
References / Список литературы
1. Maslova V.A. Lingvokulturologiya [Linguoculturology] / V.A. Maslova. M., Akademiy [Academy], 2001. P. 208 [in Russian].
2. Baker Joanna (2000). The English language teacher's handbook: how to teach large classes with few resources. New York: Continuum; London: Cassel.
3. Alimova D.K. THE IMPORTANCE AND SPECIAL PECULIARITY OF THE USE OF AUTHENTIC MATERIALS IN EFL. Nauka i obrazovaniye segodnya. № 6 (41), 2019. Chast' 2. Moskva (42).
4. Alimova D.K. THE ROLE OF CLT (COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING) ACTIVITIES IN CONSOLIDATION OF LANGUAGE SKILLS. Nauka i obrazovaniye segodnya. № 6 (41), 2019. Chast' 2. Moskva (41).
5. Alimova D.K. Linguo-culturology as the main factor to the development of communication. «Vestnik nauki i obrazovaniya», 2020. № 9 (87). Chast' 2.
6. Alimova D.K. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LMS; Moodle in language learning process. «Vestnik nauki i obrazovaniya», 2020. № 12 (90). Chast' 2.
