Creating the Mixed-Level Classroom – Best Practices

All classrooms are mixed-level classrooms, but some are more mixed than others. Throughout my various teaching experiences, I have grappled with this truism. However, for mixed-level classes, I have found the following best practices to be vital.

Classroom Language and Skills. Before a class can proceed with thematic lessons or a textbook, I always ensure that students learn important classroom skills. This is especially crucial for low-level learners. In the first few classes, I check that students know how to interrupt the teacher for clarification, ask for slower speech or repetition, and ask for examples. I have found that using a simple Quizlet flashcard set can be helpful. You can access my Quizlet set HERE.

Socializing Speakers at Different Levels. A mixed-level class will also need to go through a period of socialization. Even though low-level learners may have learned important classroom language, they may still need prompting in order to develop their assertiveness. At the other end of the spectrum, high-level students may need to be counseled to prevent them from dominating a classroom. Over time, teachers should coach high-level learners to become conversation facilitators.

Best Practices for Task- and Project-Based Learning. Much of the scholarly literature (Abbott, 2018; Carson, 2015; Treko, 2013) points to the benefits of tasks and projects for mixed-level classes. However, not all tasks and projects are created equal. Tasks and projects often work best when they are transferable outside the classroom. Thus, gathering useful information about what students want to do with their English outside the classroom is important preparation for creating useful and appropriate tasks. This can easily be accomplished by asking students to fill out a short survey before the class. In addition, the scholarly literature on mixed-level classrooms points to the need for tasks that can be completed at different levels of competency (see especially, Abbott, 2018). Worksheets or tasks designed with different tiers, for example, asking some students to do fill-in-the-gap (for beginners) or respond with full written sentences (for advanced students) allows students to choose the level of work most appropriate to them (Abbott, 2018, pp. 9-11).

Follow-Up Study, Self-Study Library, and Resources. Finally, a good mixed-level classroom should offer a self-access library that allows students to do self-study at their own level (Carson, 2015). This library could include graded readers, textbooks at various levels, or a simple handout with recommended apps for learners’ smartphones. In recent years, especially in light of the pandemic, schools have had to rely more on digital solutions for self-study (see the example of Uzun & Guven-Yalcin, 2021). During the pandemic, I have made use of two digital extensive reading websites: XReading (a paid subscription digital library) and Extensive Reading Central (a free extensive reading library). Both websites allow students to choose books at their own level and teachers to track students’ reading progress.

With these best practices in mind, let us look at one example of how to conduct a mixed-level class.

Teaching Example – A Local Improvement Project

The “improvement” lesson is one that I have used across many different classrooms. The important aspect of the lesson is that it focuses on something “local” that students have intimate knowledge of and care deeply about (e.g. a school, neighborhood, job, or city). The guide below takes city improvement as its theme. While it is written for the context of a large mixed-level class, the lesson can be modified for almost any class setting.

You can access an optional worksheet associated with the lesson plan HERE. Teachers are free to use, download, copy, and modify this worksheet as they see fit.

Lesson Plan: How to Improve Your City

Step One: Introduction and Warm-Up Activity

I begin the lesson by creating a simple T-chart with two columns labeled “good points” and “bad points.” I ask students what they think are the good points of their city, eliciting ideas and writing them in the chart. I then elicit “bad points.” After the chart is constructed with “good points” and “bad points,” I ask the students to break into groups and rank the “bad points” in terms of how serious the problems are.

Step Two: Language Models and Examples

When the warm-up activity has been completed, I ask a member of each group to write their list of problems for their city on the board. Once the groups have given me their top three problems, I then introduce language models starting with the lowest level and proceeding to the advanced. I suggest color-coding the language to distinguish levels.

Relevant examples can be found on the optional worksheet for this lesson HERE.

As I present each level, I ask students to write their own example sentences. I also ask students to speculate about the pragmatics of each statement, guessing whether the tone is strong or weak and whether sentences are formal or informal.

Step Three: Group Work

After I have introduced key language, I then tell students that they will be working in their groups to make presentations on how to improve their city. I ask the groups to come to a consensus about which problem they would like to solve.

I instruct the groups to create a script for the presentation with equal parts for each group member. Though making a complete script is often unnecessary for the advanced speakers in the group, a complete script is indispensable for lower level students within the group. This script also serves as scaffolding for low-level listeners during the presentation.

During group work, I monitor students to assess how well high-level students are assisting lower-level students and how well lower-level students are demonstrating assertiveness in asking questions.

Step Four: Pre-Presentation Feedback

Before students present, I usually go through a checklist of the following:

❏ Is the presentation script clear and mistake-free?

❏ Does the presentation make use of appropriate visuals and props?

❏ Does every member of the group have a speaking role?

Once the students have met these criteria, I have each group make enough copies of their speaking script for every member of the class so that lower-level students can look up unknown words before the presentation and follow along.

Step Five: Presentation

During the presentation, I have the audience take notes on the content of the presentation so that they may ask questions. As much as possible, I want the students to feel as if they are participating in a meaningful discussion on how to improve something that is important to them. In some instances, I have duplicated the techniques of academic conferences by assigning panelists or respondents for group presentations. My ultimate hope is that students will take the ideas from their presentations out into the community to enact meaningful change.

Conclusion – Mixed-Level Classes as a Blessing

When handled with care, mixed-level classes can be a blessing. Rich, theme-based classroom sessions hold out the opportunity for meaningful communication. In addition, students learn skills that are transferable outside the language classroom. Weaker learners discover their assertiveness and how to get the most from more experienced learners. Advanced learners experience the joy of teaching and mentoring weaker students. When done correctly, mixed-level classes offer an opportunity for the teacher and all students to come out improved.

References

Abbott, M. L. (2018). Selecting and adapting tasks for mixed‐level English as a second language classes. TESOL Journal, 10(1), https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.386.

Carlson, G. D. (2015). Idea sharing: How to maximize participation in a mixed-level English class. PASAA: Journal of Language Teaching and Learning in Thailand, 49, 199-212.

Treko, N. (2013). The big challenge: Teaching large multi-level classes. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies 2(4), 243–251.

Uzun, T., & Guven-Yalcin, G. (2021). The digitalization of self-access and advising services in times of a global pandemic. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 12(3), 248–265. https://doi.org/10.37237/120305