3. "Every group is a mixed-ability group." Do you agree with this? What are the implications of this statement for teachers?
I fully agree with the statement “every group is a mixed-ability group”. We learn in different ways and at one’s own pace. Teachers should cater to student’s needs. When we have a mixed-ability group, which is nearly always, I think the best way is to think in multilevel tasks, although it is not as simple.
4. Mixed ability is usually considered to be a problem. But is it? Could there be some advantages to having students of different levels and abilities in the same class?
At first sight, mixed ability is a problem because sometimes there are students who get bored, others who seem to lose their motivation. However, I think there are also advantages to having students of different levels and abilities. Real life is mixed, that is, we all have different interests and abilities and that’s the bright side of life because we can help each other. When we work in groups in the class I think it’s good to have mixed-ability groups. That way students not only learn something related to English, but they also learn to respect and to see how different we are.