Every learner has his own learning style, linguistic background knowledge or individual pace of

learning and developing. Hence, the majority of foreign language classes involve students of
varying abilities (Richards, 1998). One of the big challenges that teachers face today is mixed
ability classes, because even if the learners are grouped according to level of language, any
class, in a sense, is a mixed-level group. A mixed-level group is a class of two in other words If
you have two students, you have more than one level. This presentation sets out to explore the
challenges faced by the teacher of a mixed ability class and possible solutions to these
challenges. Firstly l will highlight the problems associated of having students of mixed ability
and then the possible solutions that can be implemented to solve these problems.

Each student comes from a different family, a different environment and/or a different nation, the
multi-cultural population of the classroom may be an obstacle for the teacher in reaching the
students, which eventually results in ineffective learning. Every teachers aim is to reach out to
all students. However, it is well known that every student has a different way of learning, and
learns and progresses at different speeds. Thus, while some students may find the learning task
very easy to deal with, others may find it difficult to understand. Besides, learning also depends
on what students have brought with them into class.

Most language textbooks are designed for an ideal homogeneous classroom environment, a
teacher always have to deal with the problem of how students will react to the textbook
differently due to their individual differences. Some students may find the textbook boring and
very hard, whereas some may find it interesting or very easy. Most course materials are currently

based on content-based or theme-based syllabi, some students may find the topics dull, strange,
or meaningless; whereas others find it enjoyable, familiar or interesting.

The teacher needs to know how to carter for different interests among students in the classroom
for example the classroom is the first and only environment for many language learners, such
students should use this chance as much as possible. However, some students find it difficult to
speak in the target language for many reasons ranging from interest to confidence, from age to
knowledge. Other students, however, would like to express everything they think or feel by using
the new language. As a result, some students may take many turns, while others do not speak for
the entire lesson hence such students participation in class activities is low.

A teacher needs to know how to cater for different interests. Interest differences may arise due to
the differences among students in terms of their attitude towards the subject matter and/or the
teacher; their knowledge of language; and their personality. Some students may find lessons
boring, as the topic has no familiarity with their own life or their interests. Furthermore, some of
the students may not be interested in the lesson, unless they do get the chance to express their
own ideas since the teacher talks too much during the lesson or the other students take many
turns. Hence, teachers should be aware of the different interests of the students to organize and to
arrange activities accordingly.

What pace to use: too fast, too slow is another big problem faced by many teachers, Often the
quicker students finish the tasks given before the other students. As a result, they may misbehave
while waiting for the others to finish. The weaker students, on the other hand, cannot finish the
tasks as quickly as the strong ones and may loose their confidence and/or show ill-disciplined
behavior for a variety of reasons related to that. Consequently, mixed abilities may result in
classroom management problems.

Now I shall discus the techniques that have helped a lot with the problems mentioned above and
that take into account all the conditions of a heterogeneous group. Homogeneous grouping has
been proposed and implemented as a potential solution to meet the needs of the mixed ability
classes, suggesting that students of different background and abilities can be gathered in groups
of same ability thereby facilitating instruction (Slavin, 1987). This kind of grouping is based on
the pedagogical principle that the teacher has the advantage of focusing instruction at the level of
all the students in the particular group (Ansalone, 2000).

It is assumed that teachers of mixed ability class can increase the pace and raise instruction level
for high achievers whereas low level students can enjoy individual attention. So, advanced
pupils are taught more difficult concepts while low achievers deal with simple and fewer things.
Proponents of HG opine that it is an excellent means of individualizing instruction.
Achievement is considered to increase as teachers adjust the pace of instruction to students
needs. Marsh (1987) supports Homogeneous grouping as a way of coping with mixed ability
classes assuming that grouping children homogeneously enables those in lower ability groups to
profit with respect to self-evaluation by being isolated from advanced peers.

Heterogeneous grouping, which is gathering children of varying abilities in same groups has
been proposed by many researchers as an effective strategy to promote academic development of
students having diverse background knowledge and abilities. Brimfield, Masci and Defiore
(2002) believe that all students deserve an academically challenging curriculum. The goal is to
find a way to engage all pupils of the mixed ability classroom in the lesson irrespective of their
abilities. The teacher can use cooperative tasks among high and low achievers of mixed ability
groups or pairs in order to promote task engagement of all students in the mixed ability class as
advanced children can provide explanations and guidance in carrying out a task. Lyle (1999)
showed that both low and high achieving students value the opportunity to work together as all
pupils believed that they benefited. Peer interactions can facilitate literacy development
especially of low ability students. Guralnick (1992) points out that social competence acquired in
group work affects the elaboration of all students cognitive competencies, implying that both
low and advanced learners of mixed ability classes may gain from such settings.

Although open-endedness allows minimal preparation by the teacher, it may achieve the
maximum involvement of all kinds of learners within the mixed ability class (Prodromou,
1995). ). This is due to its advantage to allow learners at all levels to work on the same task but
at their own pace. These tasks allow each learner to perform at his/her own level. Some of the
students may be good at understanding but might be weak in expressing themselves orally or in
written work; thus, open-ended tasks give them the chance to express themselves without trying
to find the one and the only correct answer. Hence, the mixed ability class is perceived as a
unified whole rather than a mixture of different parts. Open-ended tasks are associated with
communicative methodology (Prodromou, 1995) as they provide choice to all students of the

mixed ability class. High, medium and low level learners can process and use the target
structures in meaningful situations making them part of their inter language system.

Although students in mixed ability classes exhibit differences in prior knowledge and ability they
seem to share a great similarity: they all value pleasure (Prodromou, 1995). tudents love games,
competitions and dramatisation, so these are ways of ensuring their interest in the lesson.
Regardless of the differences among the students in terms of language level and learning styles,
they are motivated to use the target language while they are playing a game or participating in a
completion or a role-play. . A relaxing learning atmosphere is created when games are used in
the classroom (Uberman, 1998) so students with poor linguistic background have the opportunity
to report whatever they know or the teacher has taught them in a non-stressful way. While
playing, attention is focused on the message instead of the correctness of linguistic forms
therefore the fear of negative evaluation which according to Horwitz et al (1986) makes language
learners avoid using the target language in public, is eliminated.

Hess (1999) points out that differentiated instruction can raise the bar for all learners of the
mixed ability classes. This kind of instruction should aim to direct all students toward essential
understandings using a variety of processes and products to get there. The process of teaching
can be differentiated if activities move from simple and basic to complex in order to satisfy all
linguistic levels of the mixed ability classes. Linguistically advanced students are likely to
benefit from tasks that are more complex in research, resources, problems or goals than less
advanced peers

Group/pairwork activities are useful not only for the teacher to observe students but also for the
students to cooperate and to learn from each other. When a strong student works with weaker
students, the student can be a source of language/knowledge in the group. The teacher, on the
other hand, may form groups of weaker and stronger students separated from each other, and she
can give different tasks to these groups. So the stronger and quicker students work with more
complicated tasks, whereas the weaker students deal with a simpler task or work with the teacher
as a group member. Extra homework always helps teachers of mixed ability classes. However,
considering the level and the interests of the students, extra work should be of something that the
students would enjoy doing.

In conclusion this kind of classroom environment, advanced level students act as a bridge to
facilitate the learning process and lower level classmates exhibit a willingness to cross that
bridge (Sean, 2002) in a learning environment which stimulates meaningful communication and
provides opportunities for language games and differentiation of activities providing benefits to
all kinds of learners. Teachers need to promote a lively, language rich environment attracting
active participation amongst all students.

References
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Horwitz, E., Horwitz, M. & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern
Language Journal 70(2). 125-132.
Marsh, H. W. (1987). The big-fish-little-pond effect of academic self-concept. Journal of
Educational Psychology 79. 280-295.
Richards, S. (1998). ELT Spectrum. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Sean, M. (2002). Using high level students as teaching assistants in a mixed ability classroom.
TESL Journal Vol.61. 1-14.
Prodromou, L. (1995). Mixed ability classes. Hertfordshire: Phoenix ELT.
Hess, M.A.(1999). Teaching in mixed-ability classrooms. www.weac.org/kids/199899/march99/differ.htm
Guralnick, M. (1992). A hierarchical model of understanding childrens peer-related social
competence. In S.L. Odom, S.R. McConnell & M.A. McEvoy (eds) Social competence of young
childrenwith disabilities: Issues and strategies for intervention. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes. 3764.
Uberman, A. (1998). The use of games for vocabulary presentation and revision. English
Teaching Forum 36(1). 20.

Slavin, R. (1987). Ability grouping and student achievement in elementary schools: A bestevidence synthesis. Review of Educational Research 57 (3). 293-336.