2. 1. INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS
FIRST MEETING WITH A CLASS
Teachers discover some
basic facts such as: how
many learners there are,
their ages, etc. If they
have books, materials,
etc.
Using their interpretation
they discover intangible
information, for example:
because of the eye
contact or body posture.
Teachers may have some
questions:
Do the students know
each other? Do they like
each other? Do they like
me? etc.
But not all of the students
like their teacher. So
teachers shouldn’t be
trying to be accepted by
all the learners, it’s just
not possible.
3. Students respond to the way their
teacher respond to them.
Teachers may tend to find exactly what
they look for. So it is very important not
to have prejudices before meeting a
new class.
CHANGES IN CLASS MOOD
4. GROUP CHARACTERISTICS
Classes share some characters and moods. But
students have their own features such as: different
ideas or reasons for needing English; or maybe they
have different preferences for classroom
methodology.
They differ in terms of:
Motivation: Many learners have strong external
motivation (e.g. When they study because they want
to pass an exam), or internal motivation (e.g. studying
to set oneself a personal challenge. These two will
determine how seriously they take the class (e.g. it
may be reflected in how often homework is done).
5. Intelligence: this means that people have different
intelligences but in different proportions. Here are
some of them:
Linguistic.
Visual.
Musical.
Logical/ mathematical.
Bodily/ feeling.
Interpersonal.
Intrapersonal.
Sensory preferences: for example, a person that
responds best to hearing things.
6. WORKING WITH INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
It is necessary to gather useful feedback
from learners and to use our own intuition
in order to deal with differences.
7. 2. WHAT LEVEL ARE MY STUDENTS?
ORGANISING STUDENTS INTO LEVELS
There are level structures in schools, where
learners are divided into classes at named
language levels:
Advanced.
Upper intermediate.
Intermediate.
Pre-intermediate.
Elementary.
Beginner.
8. MIXED-LEVEL CLASSES
Another level system could be:
Mastery.
Operational proficiency.
Vantage.
Threshold.
Waystage.
Breakthrough.
The most common reasons are:
Grouping by age.
Keeping groups together.
Placement testing.
Insufficient levels.
9. WHAT LEVEL IS THE CLASS?
Here we have to know that:
Every learner has an individual range of
levels.
Every class is a mixed-level class.
10. 3. LEARNERS AND THEIR NEEDS
WAYS TO FIND OUT ABOUT LEARNERS’ NEEDS
They may use formal procedures as well as informal
ones. Here are the three key tools to take into
account: writing, speaking, and observing.
Need Analysis is very helpful for teachers. Here are
some examples to show how to use it.
In writing, learners may be asked to fill in a
questionnaire.
In speaking, teachers could collect oral feedback
comments.
When it comes to observation, teachers can also set
activities that allow them to observe their students
working.
11. USING DATA FROM A NEED ANALYSIS
Teachers should let their students know that not all of
them have the same views or expectations. Because
they usually think that the entire class share ideas.
They should also encourage the students to choose
what they want or need.
BALANCING COURSE PLANS AND NEEDS
This actually depends a lot on the teacher’s own
attitude.
There are a lot of aspects to take into account:
The most important one is to put the original course
plan to one side and base a whole new course plan.
12. 4. GETTING FEEDBACK FROM LEARNERS
The classroom you create should be as a living being
rather than as a machine.
Communication between teachers and students is
essential, if you want a good learning environment.
Here are some starting points:
Think if you and the class are on track.
Explore your students’ preferences carefully.
Vary your feedback methods.
Ask small questions as well as big questions.
Ask factual and evaluative questions.
Design a simple feedback form.
Ask students to write you a letter telling you about the
course.
Ask them what they really think.
13. LEARNER TRAINING
Following all the previous mentioned points could difficult
at first, but they will have a great long-term benefit
To help students know how they learn, consider the
following items:
Integrate study skills: e.g. When working on vocabulary
include an exercise to make them use a dictionary.
Let them into the secret: e.g. After a listening activity,
tell them what they have to do and why.
Discuss process as well as content and procedure: i.e.
The content is the English language. The procedures
are your methodology. The process is discussing the
subject of “learning on this course”. This will help to
clarify the learners’ doubts.
