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A class of mixed ability is a class which has students with different abilities learning in the same class. This is not an easy problem to solve, and there is no simple solution. The solutions to the problem depends on cooperation between the students in the class. It is necessary to stress the need for teamwork and for the class to use English wherever possible in classroom communication. Using pair and group work is helpful to involve all the students in the class. Ice breaking games like Find 10 things in common, would help the students to get to know each other before group work begins. Another ice breaking game is the One-word ice breaker where participants in small groups of four or five people are asked a very simple question like "What one word would you use to describe the perfect holiday?" — and give each team five or 10 minutes to come up with their answers. Before finalizing their one word, teams will have to discuss among themselves. Then ask each group to share their answers with the rest of the class and facilitating even more discussion. The teacher can generate interest in a topic by the use of pictures, magazines and films to emphasis on topics like clothes, celebrities, holidays etc. to encourage active participation of students. There will be a need to vary the way the students work in class. A technique would be the use of questionnaires and interviews. Pairing strong students with weaker students for activities may be a good idea as the strong students can help the weaker student to learn. However, pairing the weaker students together could also work as they will then have someone to work together at the same pace. Another way of teaching a class of mixed ability could be to divide the class into groups of the same level so that a different task could be given to each group. Another way is to form groups that are at about the same level and assign different tasks that are appropriate to the level of each group. By adjusting the difficulty of the task, each group has a task that it can carry out successfully, and thus providing the correct level of challenge for the higher level students and not demotivating the weaker ones. The teacher has to try to make a speaking activity purposeful, change the classroom dynamics with careful planning and allow students time to think. Accuracy activities in the study phase will help to produce correct language A controlled activity to ensure accurate reproduction of language like drilling, guided activities which are more creative and productive like guided role plays. Fluency activities in the activate phase allows students to experiment and be creative with language. Creative activities like free role play, discussions, information gap, debates, simulations and communication games like Snakes and Ladder, Charades, or Pictionary. Role playing is an effective way to demonstrate effective and ineffective verbal communication. A variety in the types of groups, and discussions of the situation in the class will help with some of the difficulties in a mixed ability class. All of this will help to create a better teaching and learning class environment.
