My Findings From Research So Far...

Of course, this is a culmination of a two-year process beginning when I became a full-time EFL teacher in Izmir, Turkey nearly two years ago.  Now I am in Istanbul at a university where I teach Preparatory English to first year students.  It is a big challenge to teach a
multilevel classroom, and knowing how to serve everyone so that they can improve their English is my objective and goal.  I have produced some preliminary findings which may be of interest to readers and other educators.  I have attached only what I feel are important components of these findings here, so there may be some breaks in the continuity of the slides.

 

 

 

 

I administered a grammar and vocabulary quiz which resembled part of a midterm exam we give here at my university.  Above gives a rough idea of what levels I am dealing with in the classroom.

Shortly afterward, an actual midterm exam was scheduled, so I analyzed the data from this exam and it showed that my initial findings were fairly accurate regarding the differing levels of English in my classroom.

To further study the levels of English in my classroom I thought it would be a good idea to survey the students themselves, and get an idea or feel for how they personally view their own learning experience at our university.  Some of the survey results were rather surprising.  Perhaps this is the most telling component of my study so far...

I believe it is important as a teacher to listen to what the student's needs are. It is one thing to analyze and study what I think are important factors about their learning, but what about how they feel?  I think this has been an area that is ignored in some of the data which is out there for us to read.  I wanted to give the students a voice in this process as well.

This survey question result, Question 7, said a lot to me.  If only half the students feel as though they are learning enough English, how do I proceed?  I am very concerned about this subject matter because I want all of the students to have a good learning experience, not just HALF of them!

I love my Turkish students who are learning English from me, but how do I effectively teach them all if they are at different levels of comprehension? This question has been asked, I am sure so many times...

The Challenges of Teaching a Foreign Language

English is difficult enough for native speaking students, but teaching in a foreign country, and teaching it as a foreign language is a totally different ball of wax. I teach English preparatory classes to A level students in Istanbul, Turkey.  My classes are mixed level, meaning not every student is at the same level of English speaking/reading/writing/listening.  This is not always a remarkable or a huge problem during class, although it can be challenging to maintain the level of enthusiasm at times.  What does bother me, among other things as caring and conscientious teacher, are the results of the midterm examinations.  There it is plain to see what the comprehension levels of English really are in my classes. 

My question to myself and also addressed to other teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is "How do I teach English effectively in a multilevel classroom?"  I want to serve every level, not just cater to the higher students. How do we reach everyone?  It sounds impossible...

This in mind, my research project for the MAT TESOL program at USC deals with just this issue.  Hopefully you will enjoy my research, findings, data, and solutions/conclusions.