Blinova Svetlana
People’s Friendship University of Russia
Improving the quality of learning in mixed-ability
groups
Teaching a mixed-ability group is one of the most worrying things for many
teachers.
If it is a group of university students chances are high that the students will be
approximately of the same age and
similar learning background . However, ‘beyond
any common features, there will be significant differences between people’
(Scrivener,
2005: 63) which include different
individual abilities, knowledge and preferences.
In terms of the learners’ abilities and
individual variations, “there are two theories in particular, which have tried
to account for such perceived individual variation, and which teachers have
attempted to use for the benefit of their learners : Neuro-Linguistic
programming (NLP) and ‘Multiple Intelligences’ theory.
As far as the
learners’ abilities are concerned, American psychologist Howard Gardner developed a
theory of Multiple Intelligences which can go some way towards explaining
different learner styles.
According to Howard
Gardner, there are different types of intelligence. He listed Musical/rhythmical, Verbal/ linguistic, Visual/special,
Bodily/kinaesthetic, Logical/mathematical, Interpersonal and Intrapersonal. We
all have these intelligences in different proportions, and usually one of the
intelligences is more pronounced than the others. Also writers in the field of Neuro-Linguistic programming
suggested the classification of sensory preferences into visual, auditory and kinesthetic.
Using
these classifications the teacher should bear in mind that students will
respond to different stages of the lesson in
different ways and that the same task may not be appropriate for all the students.
From my experience I can say that for example
auditory learners who have strong logical/mathematical
intelligence respond to the concept
checking questions more quickly than the others; interpersonal learners respond positively to the freer practice
activity where they can express their
leadership abilities doing their
best to help the team.
I noticed that
kinesthetic students like drawing images to illustrate concepts and ideas, their
notebook are often full of drawings that relate to the lesson.
Intrapersonal (independent) learners prefer working out answers by themselves rather than cooperating with
the others and enjoy completing grammar exercises individually. Students who have a
strength in logical intelligence have no problems using complex grammar structures.
Motivation is another
very important factor in learning.
Gardner[1]
suggests that “effort, desire and positive affect” are necessary components of
motivation. He differentiates between integrative (waiting to integrate or
being interested in a culture and the language) and instrumental (increase in
salary, passing an exam) motivation.
Another
distinction, “perhaps more useful for teachers, is that between ‘intrinsic’
motivation (the urge to engage in the learning activity for its own sake) and
‘extrinsic’ (motivation that is derived from external incentives) (P.Ur,
2001:276).
Intrinsically motivated students enjoy the whole lesson sequence, different
kinds of activities while in extrinsically motivated students the interest in learning depends mostly on the teacher’s personality
and the level of challenge of tasks.
"Faced with the different
descriptions of learner types and styles...it may seem that the teacher’s task
is overwhelmingly complex…" [Harmer, 2007: 92] as the teacher should try
to ensure effective learning for students
of all ages, abilities and learning experiences etc.
Getting to know your students,
finding out as much as possible about them can help the teacher considerably to
figure out what can be done to improve the quality of learning achieved by the
students in future lessons.
Firstly the teacher should
explore different groupings (as and when appropriate to the task) and organize
pairs and groups taking into account
the learners’ differences. For example a stronger student in a group of weaker students can be encouraged to take on
a challenging ‘chairmanship’ role, while students who lack confidence will
have the security of being peers in participating in the task.
At the same time
the teacher should also be sensitive to the general relations between different
students and note who works well with whom. Another way to support weak
students is to give alternative tasks in order to provide different levels of
support or at least giving the students a choice. For example the teacher can
give the students three different levels of practice tasks and explain that
task A is harder than task B, and task B is harder than task C, and let them
chose which one they try , this will
increase their motivation.
Secondly, the
teacher can design open-ended tasks in
order to allow the students to work at their own level and their own pace and
in their own way. Yet, at the same time all students are working on the same
material. These tasks are useful for fast finishers and slower workers as their flexibility means they have built-in
extensions and no dead time while the quick students wait for the other. Another way of
promoting the quality of learning is to have a series of task-related
extensions for early finishers so that when a pair or a group has finished
early, the teacher can give them an activity to complete while they are waiting
(Harmer, 2007: 173).
If students are
slow and desperate about their lack of progress, the teacher’s role is to help them to recognise the small steps
forward that they are making and praise them.
Secondly, to
compensate for students’ lack of intrinsic motivation the teacher can select
and design a variety of activities to keep such students engaged during the
whole lesson. It is also very important for these student to be challenged by
the task. But the teacher shouldn’t forget that the tasks need to be
interesting and relevant for all the
students in the group.
It is also good to
take into account different learning styles and include a range of activities
in the lesson ( if the material of the lesson allows) : gestures, pictures,
maps, drawings and diagrams (timelines) for visual students ; number games and
logic puzzles, ‘complete the grammar table’ activities for those who are
mathematically inclined ; pairwork and roleplays or drama for those who learn
through interacting with others ; and the opportunity for individual work or at
least reflection for those who learn best on their own.
Also it is very
important for the teacher to build a rapport with the students creating a
positive learning atmosphere. When a teacher shows she genuinely cares
about a student, it tends to set students apart from academic work and helps
gain their cooperation, keeping them motivated. It is also very important for the teacher to love and
inspire her students keeping professional practice fresh, up-to-date and
stimulating.
To sum everything
up, I would like to say that most, if not all, language classes contain
students of mixed abilities. This happens for a number of reasons, but mainly
because of different learning styles, different learning speeds, variations in
motivation, age, learning background and abilities. It it is essential to be able
to see the individual differences in the way the learners approach the work and
adapt lessons so that they respond to many individual needs within the group.
Reference books:
Harmer, J., 2003, The Practice of English Language Teaching, Pearson
Education Limited
Harmer, J., 2007, How to teach English, Pearson Education Limited
Scrivener, J., 2005, Learning Teaching, Oxford: Macmillan Education
Ur, P., 2001, A Course in Language Teaching, Cambridge University Press
Internet:
1
Gardner, H. 2003. M.I. After 20 Years. http://www.howardgardner.com/Papers/papers.html
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