Mixed-level groups
In a department which does not have a policy of streaming, language groups can be very varied across the same level (eg post-A level, post-GCSE). Hess (2001) discusses precisely the difficulty of coping with students of varying standards within a single group. The tasks she proposes are aimed at classes of 30+, but there are many useful ideas which can be applied to smaller groups too. Nunan and Lamb (1996: 158-67) also suggest a number of strategies.
Group tasks place less stress on individual learners, in addition to improving the cohesiveness of the class as a whole. Peer teaching (where a student or a pair present a grammar point to the class, for example) brings students to focus on particular areas of weakness, with the purpose of imparting their new-found knowledge to others. Open-ended tasks, which have a range of valid responses, allow weaker students to play their part, while at the same time giving the stronger ones an opportunity to stretch their wings.
These suggestions perhaps do not really address the other great dilemma of the oral class or seminar: what to do when one dominant personality (not necessarily the strongest student, linguistically speaking) hogs the limelight. In this case, it pays to break down into pairs and small groups regularly. Tutors might also invite quieter speakers to speak by name. Role-play exercises, where everyone has a part, avoid the problem to a certain extent, as long as the quieter ones do not dry up. Here are a few other suggestions, from experienced staff:
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T1: Whenever possible I sit him / her next to me so that there is not so much eye contact and I can ignore him / her more easily and turn to the silent ones. Organizing pair work or other oral activities would also be a way of reducing opportunities for spontaneous contributions. T2: I've never tried it but I suppose giving that person a kind of chairing role so that they can understand the difficulty of managing a class, if there is one dominant personality (I used to do a workshop class of that kind in my option and I remember someone telling me how hard and enlightening he had found the experience). T3: It is sometimes possible to take the student aside and have a quiet word. Often an explanation works wonders - the ones who keep talking do so because they are interested, but also because they can't abide the silences. Let them in on the secret that actually a few silences will encourage the others to come forward. (See 6.2.3.2) |
