如果学生的水平不同怎么办?

教师面临的最大问题之一是班级里的学生水平不同，有的英语水平相当好，有的英语水平不是很好，有的英语才刚刚入门。即使事情没有那么极端，英语教师——以及其他课程科目的教师——也经常面对不同的人处于不同的水平，有不同的能力的混合能力群体。那么，有哪些可能的方法来处理这种情况呢？ One of the biggest problems teachers face is classes where the students are at different levels – some with quite competent English, some whose English isn’t very good, and some whose English is only just getting started. Even if things are not quite so extreme, teachers of English – along with teachers of other curriculum subjects – regularly face mixed-ability groups where different individuals are at different levels and have different abilities. What then are the possible ways of dealing with the situation?

使用不同的材料/技术Use different materials/technology

当老师知道谁是好学生，谁是不太好的学生时，他们可以组成不同的小组。当一组在学习语言(例如过去进行时)时，另一组可能正在读故事或在网上做研究。之后，当较好的一组或几组在讨论一个话题时，较弱的一组或几组可能在做平行写作练习，或坐在CD播放器旁听音频。这是一个区别对待的例子——换句话说，就是区别对待一些学生。When teachers know who the good and less good students are, they can form different groups. While one group is working on a piece of language study (e.g. the past continuous), the other group might be reading a story or doing Internet-based research. Later, while the better group or groups are discussing a topic, the weaker group or groups might be doing a parallel writing exercise, or sitting round a CD player listening to an audio track. This is an example of differentiation – in other words, treating some students differently from others.

在有自学设施(一个学习中心或单独的房间)的学校里，老师可以把一组学生送到那里去工作，以便集中精力在另一组学生身上。如果自学任务是有目的的，那么走出教室的学生就不会觉得自己被骗了。In schools where there are self-study facilities (a study centre or separate rooms), the teacher can send one group of students off to work there in order to concentrate on another. Provided the self-study task is purposeful, the students who go out of the classroom will not feel cheated.

如果自习区域足够大，当然是不同层次学习的理想场所。当一个小组在一个角落做语法活动时，另外两个学生可以在看DVD;当另一组学生在电脑屏幕前工作时，另一组学生可能正在查阅百科全书。If the self-study area is big enough, of course, it is an ideal place for different-level learning. While one group is working on a grammar activity in one corner, two other students can be watching a DVD; another group again can be consulting an encyclopedia while a different set of students is working at a computer screen.

用同样的材料/技术做不同任务Do different tasks with the same material/technology

如果教师对全班使用相同的材料，分化仍然可能发生。我们可以鼓励学生根据他们的能力做不同的任务。例如，一篇阅读文章可以有三个不同层次的问题。老师让学生们看看自己能做多远:做得好的学生会很快完成前两组，然后在第三组上更努力。最差的学生可能过不了第一组。Where teachers use the same material with the whole class, differentiation can still take place. We can encourage students to do different tasks depending on their abilities. A reading text can have sets of questions at three different levels, for example. The teacher tells the students to see how far they can get: the better ones will quickly finish the first two sets and have to work hard on the third. The weakest students may not get past the first set.

在语言学习练习中，老师可以要求一些学生简单地重复，但要求其他学生在更复杂的句子中使用新语言。如果老师让学生给出答案或观点，她可以让学生清楚地知道，一个词对一些学生来说就足够了，而另一些学生则需要更长的、更复杂的文章。在角色扮演和其他口语或小组活动中，她可以确保学生扮演适合他们水平的角色或功能。In a language study exercise, the teacher can ask for simple repetition from some students, but ask others to use the new language in more complex sentences. If the teacher is getting students to give answers or opinions, she can make it clear that one word will do for some students whereas longer and more complex contributions are expected from others. In role-plays and other speaking or group activities, she can ensure that students have roles or functions which are appropriate to their level.

忽视问题Ignore the problem

在一个异质的群体中，学生会找到自己的水平，这种信念是完全可行的。例如，在口语和写作活动中，越好的学生可能会更大胆;在阅读和听力中，他们会理解得更全面、更快。然而，这种立场的危险在于，学生可能会对他们同事的缓慢感到厌烦，或者对他们无法跟上感到沮丧。It is perfectly feasible to hold the belief that, within a heterogeneous group, students will find their own level. In speaking and writing activities, for example, the better students will probably be more daring; in reading and listening, they will understand more completely and more quickly. However, the danger of this position is that students may either be bored by the slowness of their colleagues or frustrated by their inability to keep up.

使用学生 Use the students

一些老师采取同侪互助和教学的策略，这样好学生可以帮助差学生。他们可以与学生结对或小组合作，解释事物或提供良好的口语和写作语言表现模式。因此，当老师把学生分组时，他们可以确保弱者和强者放在一起。Some teachers adopt a strategy of peer help and teaching so that better students can help weaker ones. They can work with them in pairs or groups, explaining things or providing good models of language performance in speaking and writing. Thus, when teachers put students in groups, they can ensure that weak and strong students are put together.

但是，这样做必须非常敏感，以免学生被知识渊博的同龄人疏远或被义务的教学角色所压迫。However, this has to be done with great sensitivity so that students don’t feel alienated by their over-knowledgeable peers or oppressed by their obligatory teaching role.

面对不同水平的学生，许多教师采用了我们在这里建议的混合解决方案。然而，至关重要的是，这是以一种支持和非评判的方式进行的。不应该让学生有任何低人一等的感觉，而应该向他们解释不同待遇的好处。此外，我们应该对他们的愿望保持敏感，这样，如果他们不希望受到区别对待，我们就应该努力说服他们相信这样做的好处，或者，也许，同意他们的愿望。Many teachers, faced with students at different levels, adopt a mixture of solutions such as the ones we have suggested here. However, it is vitally important that this is done in a supportive and non-judgmental manner. Students should not be made to feel in any way inferior, but rather should have the benefits of different treatment explained to them. Furthermore, we should be sensitive to their wishes so that if they do not want to be treated differently, we should work either to persuade them of its benefits or, perhaps, accede to their wishes.