Dividing Students into Levels Assists Classroom Teaching
Dividing the students of the English language of junior high schools into levels could assist the process of classroom teaching and promote the performance of both the teachers and the learners. Although, in the recent past, it was regarded as self-explanatory to classify the students according to their levels, nowadays this tendency has started to weaken and it may even be kept effaced, for the sake of practical rather than educational reasons. What is really disappointing, is the fact that, the people in charge for the teaching of the English language do not seem to support keenly the separation of students into levels. This is extremely awkward, as these people are, I assume, able to comprehend and recognize the reasons, which make the separation of students essential and necessary. But, in case they are not able, I will attempt to provide some reasons, which derive from my personal teaching experience and which have persuaded me for the importance of forming classes based on students? abilities. Classes with students of mixed abilities entail different and variable needs for the teachers to focus on. When the teachers have the chance to concentrate on students? specific deficiencies and necessities, then they are able to perform better and accomplish their teaching targets in a more effective way. Students, who belong to the same level, usually appear to have similar weaknesses; therefore, the teachers can identify these weaknesses and try to ?heal? them, by adjusting the teaching process accordingly. Consequently, it becomes a really harsh task, when the teachers have to deal with students of different learning needs. As far as the learners are concerned, it is extremely discouraging for them to be in the same class with other students, who are a lot better or even a lot worse than them. The high-quality students do not endeavor to become excellent and the less qualified do not attempt to get better. On the other hand, when students of the same level are in the same class, then they feel more familiar and they are encouraged to advance. The separation of students into levels also results in the reduction of the amount of learners being in the classroom. The teachers would not have 25 or 30 students, but half of them. This fact entails less noise, thus the teachers could handle the teaching situation in a more successful way. When there are fewer obscurities, then the students are more concentrated and the teachers could assist the learners, by paying particular attention to each one of them and especially aiming at improving them. There are more opportunities for the learners and the teachers to achieve a satisfactory learning process, when the number of the students is controlled and not exceedingly enormous. The separation of students into levels permits the teachers to outline specific teaching targets and after identifying their students? needs to become able to improve the linguistic performance of their learners. But, it is a reality that, nowadays, the people who are in charge seem to be rather indifferent, if not against these measures, and the division of students tends to be abolished for a number of not educational reasons.The number of the English teachers is not sufficient in many junior high schools, thus dividing the students could cause intractable problems to the organization of the school. In specific, when the students of the same year are divided into two levels, elementary and advanced, there should be two teachers of the English language at school, each one tutoring one separate level. If this condition does not apply, then there should be changes to the school programme, concerning other subjects and colleagues too. Are the principals of the schools and the colleagues willing to tolerate such ?disturbance?? The answer is obvious to all teachers, who are aware of the reluctance of their colleagues and their headmasters or headmistresses to reform the school programme for the sake of the English subject. Even when, oddly, the colleagues are not opposed to reform the school programme, then the predicament with the classrooms arises, as the separation into levels demands two classrooms for the learners of the same year. This problem could be solved in an effortless way, if there was always a separate classroom used exclusively by the teachers of English. But, it seems that, it is a luxury for the Greek state schools to ?sacrifice? a whole classroom just for the English subject.
All these procedural issues could be solved if the division of the learners of the English language into levels was considered as obligatory by the Ministry of Education. Then, the required measures would be implemented, more teachers of English would be employed and there would be classrooms exploited especially for the teaching of English. But, as the Ministry does not insist on the division of the learners into levels, I assume that, the people who are in principle either do not regard the separation of students as essential for the educational improvement of the learners, or this process demands a lot of effort and cost in order to be applied. Consequently, it seems that the educational benefit is not taken into account, when the obstacles are mainly practical and economic. If there were educational objections for the division of students into levels, then the whole issue could be discussed thoroughly from the very beginning. But it is hardly conceivable to disrupt the linguistic advancement of the learners, by estimating the cost of a possible modification.
The teachers? target should be to enhance the abilities of their learners, in order to be able to communicate effectively in real life. The separation of students of junior high schools into levels facilitates the educational process, regarding both students and teachers. The educational system ought to aim at improving the students? capacities without being hindered by various practical obscurities.
