Working with Mixed Level ESL Students and Project-based Learning

I thought I'd start our discussion on working with mixed-level ESL students with a commentary from Dr. Brenda Townsend Hall. In a blog post she writes, "We all know that it makes sense to have groups of roughly similar level but in practical terms this often doesn't happen. Well, it seems to me that rather than train teachers to handle single-level groups, we should be helping them understand how to deal with mixed ability groups." I agree.

Working with mixed level students is not easy, but with some guidance and perspective -and lots of patience- it can be done. I found this blog post that offers a solution to working with mixed level groups worth reading and discussing an 'An ELT Notebook.' The author comments that:

One solution to this problem is to abandon lockstep teaching (1) for at least parts of the lesson, so that the teacher can work intensively with a sub-group of the class while the others work autonomously. This, of course means that suitable materials for autonomous study need to be available. These can be in any format, but if computers are available in the classroom, the easiest solution is undoubtedly the use of on-line materials.

The most radical way of using the materials would be to make them the sole basis of the lessons. Each student would spend the lesson working through a course at his/her own level while the teacher circulated – monitoring and giving individual help , explanation and practice as necessary. With some groups, containing students of widely differing levels, this may well be the best solution. But with others, where the difference is not too extreme, it’s also possible to incorporate the autonomous work into the regular class lessons.


One of the most dynamic teaching and learning strategies that I've incorporated into my facilitation has been Project-based Learning. What is PBL? Go to this link for a definition that says in part:


Project Based Learning is an instructional approach built upon authentic learning activities that engage student interest and motivation. These activities are designed to answer a question or solve a problem and generally reflect the types of learning and work people do in the everyday world outside the classroom.


Project Based Learning is synonymous with learning in depth. A well-designed project provokes students to encounter (and struggle with) the central concepts and principles of a discipline.
Project Based Learning teaches students 21 st century skills as well as content. These skills include communication and presentation skills, organization and time management skills, research and inquiry skills, self-assessment and reflection skills, and group participation and leadership skills.


Go to this link from Sun Associates for examples.  Also, go to this link to an experience with the Build San Francisco Institute. It's quite colorful -and very revealing. See this link from TechLearning, too.

This is a reminder that what goes on in many classrooms may not translate to the reality of the real-world and its expectations.