Korean Job Discussion Forums

[oneiros]

So my director has decided to start combining classes so that we have room to open new classes. The latest decision is to combine my middle school 1 class with my university students class.

In other words, I'm somehow meant to conduct a conversation class with 13 year olds and 20 year olds together. My university students are great, but face it, they're university students. Ask them a simple question like, "What did you do on the week-end?" and you're going to get something age inappropriate for middle-school students.

Added to the problem is that the middle school class is far, far, far more advanced than the university class. I have no idea how to conduct this class without losing the students. The middle school parents are going to get upset because I'm going to have to dumb down the class. The university students are going to get bored with being in a kiddie class.

Has anyone done this before? Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[some waygug-in]

I have a similar situation. Try to find some middle ground, not easy, but it's probably the best you will be able to do.

What I do with my mixed level classes is read a short article, followed by a few short comprehension and grammar questions and then ask a lot of personal questions like'


What did you think about the article? Was it a good story? Why or why not?

Have you ever heard of a similar situation? If so when? What happened?


Questions like these can be answered at many different levels, and the middle school kids can use the uni-students as role models.


Just my thoughts, I'm sure someone has a better idea though.

cheers

[oneiros]

Thanks for the input.

My problem is that the middle school's students reading comprehension blows the uni students away.

Essentially, my uni students are reading "Harry's boss is angry. Harry is always late. He is also very careless." and will need the words "boss" and "careless" explained.

Meanwhile, my middle school students are reading something like "Many people believe that the mysterious flashes are proof that the building is haunted. However, local residents are sceptical, and say the flashes can be explained as reflections from passing boats."

I guess I might have to resort to one of the Small Group Discussions books, that have Korean translations for the uni students. It just kills me to have to lower the class level, because some of my middle school students are studying to get into an all-English high school.

[marista99]

How many students is this? And what is the ratio of middle schoolers to university people?

[oneiros]

Three middle school kids, two uni students.

[some waygug-in]

I didn't realize that it was the uni students that were the low level students.
Here's an idea that may help, but it means a bit of extra work on your part.

Use whatever materials you would regularly use with your middle school students, but make a vocabulary page with easy definitions of difficult words. (even have some Korean translations of key words or phrases)

It will ensure that the uni students aren't completely lost, and it will cut down on the questions they need to ask.

Use articles from these 2 series "Can you believe It?" and or "True Stories in the News" The first series always has a set of pictures to go with each story, so that they are easier to understand. There are 3 levels, so you can choose which level best suits your class. The other series has some interesting articles written in simple English. I hate the questions in this series, but you can write up your own questions and make them suitable for your class.

Anyway, I hope this helps.

Cheers

[lush72]

Do you think that culturally, this could possibly ever work?

I dont think so....

[oneiros]

[nev]

My full sympathies to you on this one, it's a plainly ludicrous idea. What university student wants to be in a class of kids that are clearly more advanced than him/her? It's just embarrasing.

Even if the class was the same age, mixing a class of such varying abilities isn't beneficial for anyone. The advanced students feel bored and patronised, and the more basic students are way out of their depth, and the teacher is caught in a no-win situation.

Fortunately, it looks like the students quickly saw more sense than your director.

[saw6436]

I sympathize with you. This situation has happened to me 4 times in the 6 years at my school. Everytime the class died its own painfully slow death. My current situation is this: I had a nice little class of 8 middle-level adults. All around the same age group (but widely varying backgrounds). Everyone got along well, the students were eager and I was enthusiastic. I truely loved teaching this class and I think it showed.
Then my director decided to let the other foreign teacher go (more of an friendly parting). The director decided to mix the advanced students (3) with my class. This is the fourth time this has occured. I told my director my fear that the class would die. Well...1 month later we are down to 2 students (1 advanced, 1 mid-level).
It is quite possible to teach a class of students with different abilities, we do that everyday. But some bridges just cant be built. I've tried all the teaching tricks other posters have mentioned. Everytime I met with failure. My tactic now is doing the least possible ammount of prep for the class and waiting for the last 2 students to drop. Then I got me a free hour and a clean slate. I know its negative but you can only put up with so much.
Good luck and hope your students can accept the change, age difference alone would be a killer.