One of the most important things to understand when teaching ESL classes or programs is that every student is unique and not everyone in the classroom is on the same level in terms of their knowledge or understanding of the English language. Some students may speak English fluently while others may not understand a single word, yet they will both be in the same class and it can be confusing to know how to teach a group of students who are all on different levels.

There are many reasons why ESL students of different levels are often placed in the same class and regardless of the situation, you may find yourself in a challenging position if you are the ESL teacher. If this is ever the case, here are four strategies you can apply to teach different levels of ESL students successfully and effectively:

• Strategies a seating plan: Remember that you are only one person and as much as you’d like to be everywhere at once, this simply won’t be possible, but strategic seating will allow the students to help each other when you’re busy teaching or attending to a certain group of students. Placing an advanced student beside a beginner is a great way of getting the students to interact and help one another and everyone will benefit from this arrangement and learn a great deal.
• Expand or modify each activity as you see fit: You may be required to teach from a specific textbook, but there are ways of expanding the assignment to challenge the advanced students or modify it to make it more suitable for beginners. This is a great way of making sure the advanced students are not bored and the beginner students don’t feel lost.
• Teach in several ways to accommodate all the different learning styles: You can teach the same concept differently; verbally, written format and through visual aids and this is incredibly important to do in a multi-level classroom environment because you will help make sure that no student feels left out or left behind. Presenting the assignment in a way that can be understood by every student, regardless of their learning style preference, will make every student feel comfortable and strengthen their desire to learn.
• Play games: There’s no better way to learn than when you’re having fun while doing it. Teaching through different games is a fantastic way of getting all the students involved, regardless of their level of understanding of the language. This is a great way of getting the students to interact with one another while you monitor the game to see the strengths and weaknesses of the students.

For more information on ESL programs in the North Vancouver area, contact DEA Canadian College to learn more about the programs they offer to help you get ahead!

Related: Understanding the difference between TESOL, TEFL, and TESL.