by Revel Arroway

Created on: September 02, 2009

Discipline, level disparity and objectives in the EFL and ESL classroom

A challenge is defined as a difficulty that stimulates the person who faces it. A large classroom is more difficult to define, this could be from six to sixteen students or even more. The challenges to be faced in any EFL or ESL classroom are many; however they should serve as a stimulus to the teacher in an ongoing effort to become a better informant and educator. Some of the most common challenges faced are those involving classroom discipline, differing proficiency levels and lack of clear objectives.

Controlling the behavior of students in the classroom is probably the first task that any teacher should take into consideration. A good start is for the teacher not to be on a first name basis with the students. In many cultures there is a formal way of treating teachers that does not necessarily stand out in English. This can be overcome by asking the students to address the teacher by a title such as Mr or Miss and the teacher's last name. This marks a distance between the expert (the teacher) and the learner.

Students need to be aware of the rules of the game in the classroom and will need to be reminded of these rules consistently. A list of simple rules should be highlighted, perhaps even posted on the wall. An example of such a list would be:

1 Students must arrive to class on time.

2 Students must bring books and study materials to each class.

3 Students must participate in all activities in the class.

4 Students must be respectful to their classmates and the teacher.

5 Students must help their classmates who have difficulty.

With these rules established, a three strike you're out or yellow card system can be implemented when students fail to follow these rules. In collaboration with the director of the school, consequences of breaking the rules three times in any time period (class hour, week or month) can range from doing extra exercises to visiting the director's office and explaining why the student has been flagged as troublesome. Teachers must be strict about their rules, whether they be those listed above or other, more personal rules like English is the only language used in class or Students must raise their hands to speak.

It is nearly impossible to create a class in which all of the members will have the same proficiency level. Even in beginner level classes, individual students will learn more quickly or more laboriously than their mates. This reality must not be

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