Activity 3 Article discussion Objective: to let participants explore strategies of addressing different levels of learners
Time: 5 min
Materials: handout 3, 4 per participant, articles by Gareth ReesTeaching mixed-ability classes 1& 2. Available at:www.teachingenglish.org.uk\THINK\methodology\mixed_ability1.shtml.htm and www.teachingenglish.org.uk\THINK\methodology\mixed_ability2.shtml.htm
Procedure:
☺ (5 min)Ask participants to try to answer the question asked at the beginning of the session:
What level should we teach within a mixed ability group and how?
Elicit that teachers should try to address different levels of students by giving group work, project work, setting tasks of different complexity etc.
☺☺☺ (5 min) Ask participants to work in groups and discusswhether the strategies mentioned in the video will be suitable in their context. Ask groups to add any other strategies they know to those given in the table on handout 2.
☺ (5 min)Elicit random answers.
Distribute handout 4 and ask participants to look through the questions. Distribute the articles by Gareth Rees Teaching mixed-ability classes 1& 2.
(Optional) ☺☺☺ (15 min) If time allows ask participants to skim the article and in their groups try to find answers to the suggested questions.
If there is no time left ask participants to read the article at home and try to find the answers suggestedin the articles and to experiment withthe ones they think are relevant to their context.
Follow-up reading
Rees Gareth. Teaching mixed-ability classes 1& 2. Available at:www.teachingenglish.org.uk\THINK\methodology\mixed_ability1.shtml.htm and www.teachingenglish.org.uk\THINK\methodology\mixed_ability2.shtml.htm
