Age/grade: 3rd grade of elementary school
Proficiency levels
Speaking: novice-mid
Listening: novice-mid
Reading: novice-low
Writing: novice-mid
Number of students: 32
Type of class: public school; meets every day for 40 minutes
Motivation: These students always seem to be full of energy, and they like to be active in the classroom. They enjoy interacting with one another through games and role plays. They like to frequently change activities.
Language experience: For most of the class, this is their first year studying English. A few students have been exposed to English by their parents at an institute. So far, the class has studied classroom-related words and phrases, greetings, introductions, likes and dislikes, and abilities. They've practiced personal subject and possessive pronouns, the simple present tense, imperatives, wh- questions, don't/doesn't, like(s) + gerund phrases, and the modal can and its negative.
Age/grade: university freshmen
Proficiency level:
Speaking: intermediate-low
Listening: intermediate-low
Reading: intermediate-mid
Writing: intermediate-low
Number of students: 25
Type of class: English for Academic Purposes; meets twice a week for 1.5 hours
Motivation: Students are required to take this course by the university. They like topics that have to do with their personal lives--dating, college life, fashion, weekend activities.
Language experience: Students have been studying English since middle school with a strong focus on explicit knowledge of grammar. They have not had much opportunity to practice actually using the language aside from intensive reading in class.
Age/grade: adults
Proficiency level
Speaking: intermediate-mid
Listening: intermediate-mid
Reading: advanced
Writing: intermediate-mid
Number of students: 20
Type of class: English for EFL teachers; meets twice a week for two hours
Motivation: These teachers are eager to improve their English so that they can be more effective teachers.
Language experience: They have been studying English for 10-15 years.
Age/grade: middle school, 1st grade
Proficiency level
Speaking: novice-high
Listening: novice-high
Reading: novice-mid
Writing: novice-mid
Number of students: 35, all males
Type of class: public school; meets every day for 45 minutes
Motivation: Students like games and topics related to computer games.
Language experience: Students have been studying English for two years in the public school system. Most students in the class also attend English classes at a language institute. They have had much more practice speaking and listening than reading and writing.