One of the biggest challenges for language teachers is teaching a mixed ability class. Students with different levels and abilities will always be present in our classrooms. So, how can we use the to improve mixed ability teaching? Let’s find out.
Differentiated instruction is the best way to address the challenges of mixed ability classrooms. This is a method that helps teachers adjust aspects of the curriculum to match the different levels ofstudents.*This practice ensures that all learners are meeting course outcomes, even though their learning experience may be varied anddifferent.
In order to differentiate instruction and support students with different needs, teachers can change:
Adjusting the content tends to be the most obvious way to support learners. So, teachers who want to engage with differentiated instruction in mixed ability classrooms often find themselves producing a lot of content. This is greatas a way tosupport learners. However, creating new content or leveling existing content is time-consuming, and it can become a real challenge for teachers.
Instead of adjusting your content, you can use the GSE Teacher Toolkit to adjust your process. When you’re not creating lots of new content, you’ve got more time to consider how to teach new language to your students and how they can show what they’ve learned.The GSE Teacher Toolkit helps teachers to focus on the process and language production of learners, rather than the content you are teaching.
This means less work for you, and more engagement from your students, no matter what their level is. And the GSE Teacher Toolkit can help you understand the skills we can expect students to demonstrate. So how does this work in practice? Let’stake a look.
Let's apply differentiated instruction, using the , to a complicated grammar lesson for a mixed classroom where some students are still A2, most are A2+ and a few are emerging B1.
Once you have the content for your students, it’s time to think about how to differentiate the lesson.
One option would be to create two new worksheets, at an A2 level and an A2+ level - but as noted above, it’s a lot of work. Additionally, creating leveled worksheets means that you mayactually bepreventing your students from making progress by not adding enough challenge.
To differentiate appropriately, it’s best to focus on the process that students will use, in this case, editing. In the GSE Teacher Toolkit, this kind of editing is an A2+ level skill. So, the A2+ and B1 students should be able to complete this worksheet.
However, it might be a bit challenging for the A2 students. Therefore, you can look in the GSE Teacher Toolkit to find what writing skills you can expect from your A2 students. There are two skills that can be used to process this grammar point:
Now that you understand the difference in process for students at different levels, it’s time to plan your lesson.
By the end of the lesson all students will be able to identify and correct errors in simple sentences to demonstrate the ability to use 'all of', 'none of', 'most of', 'a lot of', and 'a little of' correctly in writing.
You can adjust the process to support students at all levels of ability.
| Lesson procedure for the worksheet | How the process is differentiated to support all learners |
|---|---|
| 1. Ask all students to read the crossed-out errors in the worksheet and underline specific mistakes. | This supports A2 students the most. However, it's useful for all students. |
| 2. Ask students in groups to discuss the mistakes. A2+ and B1 students will guide a discussion to create a series of "rules" to correct the mistakes in highlights. | This will be the most useful to A2+/B1 students while challenging your A2 students. Using groupwork allows more skilled students to support their peers. |
| 3. All students will submit their grammar rules as group work. | This allows A2+/B1 students to help A2 students express grammar rules in their own words, to help improve understanding and use. |
| 4. When finished all students complete the worksheet. | All students from A2/B1 can now complete the worksheet. |
| 5. After completing the worksheet, all students will be asked to highlight the correction in the new sentences. | Completing the worksheet may have been easier for your A2+/B1 students. |
| 6. Finally, all students will write a new sentence using the target language. Each student chooses one student to collaborate with. | Adding this extra step ensures that all students make progress by asking them to transfer their knowledge and demonstrate learning by creating something new. |
| 7. Partners review each other’s sentences and underline any errors in the use of quantifiers. Partners can point out the rules that need to be applied and do a final review once changes have been made. | Applying the grammar rules that learners created to the new sentences helps to fully internalize the language of the lesson for all of your students at every level. |
| 8. Students review peer corrections and create final sentences to submit to the teacher. Students submit all work, including original worksheet, sentences submitted to peers, peer-reviewed sentences with underlines and rule guidance and final correct sentences. | Now, all students from A2/B1 have had an opportunity to understand the rules, clarify and demonstrate knowledge of the grammar point. |
This differentiated process primarily supports the students whose level is slightly lower. However, all students will benefit from the change in process, which gives them a chance to deepen their understanding of the grammar rules.
And, as you can see, students write rules, create new sentences, and conduct a peer review.All ofthis work is created and completed by the students.
As the teacher, you don’t need to create a new worksheet to teach a differentiated class. The GSE Teacher Toolkit can help you to find a solution that creates more work for students and less work for the teacher.
If you are interested in differentiated instruction,tI recommend is thoroughly researched and detailed by.
For more uses of the , there is a wholesectiondedicated to GSEon ourblog where you’ll find articles on how to use the toolkit. If you need to teachgrammarandvocabulary, the GSE Teacher Toolkit is there to support you.
Read our posts 'Grammar lesson planning with the GSE Teacher Toolkit' and 'Assessing listening skills with the GSE'.
At app Languages, 2024 has been a landmark year full of innovation, connection, and impactful resources for businesses worldwide. We’ve worked on so many things with the aim to empower global workforces and help organizations unlock the potential of language skills to drive business success. Here's how we made a difference this year.
As the new year approaches, it's the perfect time to reflect on our teaching practices and plan engaging, effective lessons for our English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Thoughtfully crafted lesson plans can make a significant difference in the learning outcomes and engagement levels of your students. Whether you're teaching young children, teenagers, or adults, the principles of effective lesson planning remain consistent. Here are some ideas, hints and tips to help you create dynamic and successful ESL lessons for students of all ages.
Begin each lesson with clear, achievable objectives. What do you want your students to learn by the end of the lesson? Objectives provide a roadmap for both you and your students, ensuring that everyone is focused and aware of the goals. For example, an objective might be "Students will be able to use past tense verbs to describe their weekend activities." Clear objectives provide direction and help you measure student progress.
To cater to different learning styles and keep students engaged, incorporate a mix of teaching methods and activities. Here are a few ideas:
Authentic materials—such as newspapers, menus, brochures and videos—expose students to real-world language and contexts. These materials can make lessons more interesting and relevant, helping students see the practical application of their language skills. Even better, they’re everywhere, so easy to find. Here are some more suggestions for how to select and use authentic materials in your English language teaching.
Teachers are already used to leveraging technology to enhance lessons utilizing online resources, language learning apps and interactive platforms to create a dynamic learning environment. Why not take this a step further by using AI to create your own resources. Take a look at our blog on How to make the most of AI in the classroom for some more ideas.
How can teachers use the Global Scale of English (GSE) and AI to help students set and achieve language learning goals for the new year?
As the new year rolls around, it’s the perfect time for students to set fresh language learning goals. But for teachers, it’s not just about inspiring students—it’s about giving them clear, measurable goals that they can actually achieve. That’s where the GSE, a very powerful tool, comes in. It can help teachers create personalized learning paths based on where students are right now and guide them toward their language goals throughout the year. Let’s dive into how the GSE can work to boost student progress.
The GSE is a precise framework that measures English proficiency with remarkable detail. Each score on the GSE aligns with specific speaking, listening, reading and writing competencies. For instance, a student with a GSE score of 50 might handle everyday conversations comfortably (B1 level), while a score of 75 indicates functioning at a more advanced level (C1).
What sets the GSE apart is its granularity—it goes beyond general levels of "intermediate" or "advanced," allowing teachers to identify exactly what their students can do at any stage. This level of detail enables teachers to set targeted, skill-specific goals for every learner, ensuring personalized and purposeful progression.
Before setting goals, it’s important to determine each student’s current standing. The GSE is an excellent tool for this because it provides a detailed breakdown of a student's skills. Teachers can use GSE-aligned assessments to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses, which gives a clearer picture than just knowing if a student is at an “intermediate” or “advanced” level.
Once you know where students are, you can set a baseline. For instance, if a student’s reading score is 52, you’ll know that they are likely in the B1 range, and you can target specific skills (like improving vocabulary or understanding main ideas) to move them forward.
Now that you know where each student stands, it's time to set some goals. These should be realistic, measurable and achievable based on their current level and the time span involved. The key is to pick goals that will push them to improve without overwhelming them. The GSE has detailed descriptions of what students can do at each level. You can pinpoint specific skills that need attention by looking at these descriptors. We know that large goals can feel intimidating, so break them into smaller, manageable chunks. Here, the GSE is an amazing resource, thanks to its granularity.
Using the GSE Learning Objectives (LOs) in conjunction with an LLM (Large Language Model)* opens up a world of possibilities for creating focused activities at the right level for each student. Here are some key points on how this combination enhances personalized learning:
By combining the GSE LOs and harnessing the power of an LLM like ChatGPT, teachers can create personalized activities that cater to individual students' language needs, promote active learning, and foster continuous improvement.
*Disclaimer:Teachers should check and verify the level based on their understanding of their students, as LLMs like ChatGPT may notassess levels accurately. While GSE Learning Objectives can assist, it's essential to check and adjust its outputs accordingly. This could involve consulting GSE Grammar and Vocabulary to confirm appropriate levels or utilizing the Text Analyzer to ensure the text aligns with the desired level.
Setting goals is just the start—tracking progress and adjusting those goals as needed is just as important. Throughout the year, teachers should regularly check in with students to make sure they’re on track. How can we monitor and adjust? Here are some tips.
Teachers should schedule regular one-on-one sessions with students to review their progress. The GSE can clearly show students their progress.
If students are achieving their goals faster than expected, adjusting their targets is important to keep them challenged. If they’re struggling, the goals might need to be more achievable, with smaller, more gradual steps.
Using the GSE can help students set clear, measurable goals and steadily progress throughout the year. By assessing where students are starting, setting specific GSE-based goals, creating personalized learning paths with AI, and continuously tracking progress, teachers can create a more dynamic and effective learning experience for their students. The new year is the perfect opportunity to help students improve their English and achieve their goals—and with these tools, teachers have everything they need to guide students toward success.
