Top Tips for Dealing with Different (& Unexpected) Class Sizes

In English language teaching, class sizes vary enormously. Some schools may limit the maximum number of students per class to 6–10. Other classes might take place in huge lecture halls with lots of students in attendance. Then, of course, there are also one-to-one classes. 

In this blog post, I'll explore some ways to manage classes of any size effectively in order to maximize communicative opportunities.

Dealing with large classes

Communication is the main objective in any ELT classroom. In larger classes, providing opportunities for learners to speak while still receiving feedback and support can become a challenge.

In these cases, it may not be realistic to give every learner individual time and attention, so learners need to work together to support each other. 

Group or pair students

In larger classes, students need to work together to practice their English. Think carefully about how to create groups or pairs of students so that they can help each other. 

When students with different abilities work together, stronger students can support those who need more help.

When students with similar abilities work together, stronger students can push each other forward, while students who need more time can work at a more relaxed pace. 

If you know the students well, you could also group them by skills. Every student is different. Some might be super confident with speaking, but need more support with writing. In this case, you could have the strong speaker support the less confident speaker with speaking. They could then switch supporting roles so that they also help each other with writing. This way they can share language learning tips and skills.

Giving students roles during group or pair work can help them support each other effectively and stay focused. For example: 

• Translator
• Notetaker
• Grammar explainer
• Scribe
• Vocabulary doodler
• Error corrector
• Feedback giver

Check out Ann's fun ideas: 8 Ways to Randomly Pair & Group Students

Try student mentoring or peer teaching

One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it. This is one of the reasons why mentoring is so effective in the language classroom. 

In large classes, it is unlikely that you'll manage to monitor and support every student individually. This is where mentors can help. 

Student mentors could support other learners in the same class. You could also recruit vounteers from upper-level classes to support learners in lower-level classes. 

Nominating mentors allows students to support others, cement their own knowledge, and have additional opportunities to naturally practice their English. 

There are many ways to choose a mentor: 

• Ask students to volunteer 
• Assign mentoring to fast finishers when they complete tasks
• Select students based on skills
• Choose a student who can translate to a certain language
• Pick students names at random 
• Have a daily or weekly mentoring rotation

Encourage learner autonomy

In large classes, learners need to be more autonomous. Students need to take ownership of their own learning. 

One way to do this is to let them choose what they want to learn. This could focus on a topic of interest (e.g., Space or the Amazon) or something they need more practice with (e.g., grammar or vocabulary).

Either way, let them choose something from Ellii's vast resource library, and then circulate, monitor, and provide support as required. 

You could also choose and print a collection of graded readers for learners to use when they wish. For YL, try Reading Routes A–Z. For adults, check out topic-based packs.

Dealing with small classes

In general, small classes tend to be more manageable than larger classes. But they can be a bit perplexing when class numbers are unexpectedly low. 

Perhaps a holiday, public transport issue, or last-minute emergency has left your class with just a couple or handful of students. Here are some ideas: 

Go outdoors

When class numbers are low, take the opportunity for a walk around the local area. 

Have students: 

• describe what they can see
• be your tour guide and have them tell you the local history
• advise on where to go for the best coffee, the cheapest bread, or the most comfortable movie theater
• share their memories, inspired by different things that you pass

You could follow up this learning opportunity in future lessons by having them report back to the other students in the class. 

Team teach

When class numbers are unexpectedly low in one class, the chances are they are low in every class. Team up with other teachers.

• You teach the first hour of the class, and then the other teacher teaches the second hour. 
• Put on a class play. Have students practice in their own classroom, and then perform it for the other class. 
• Play games, watch videos in English, sing karaoke, or do interactive group tasks (polls or dilemmas).

Personalized classes

Low class numbers provice a great opportunity to give learners a little extra attention. For example, if you know that students need practice with handwriting, you could work on this skill together. 

Let students choose what they want to study and have them work alone, in pairs, in groups, or just with you to complete the tasks. 

These are just some ways to deal with varying class sizes. What other ideas do you have? What class sizes have you taught? We'd love to know in the comments. 

Related 

• Developing Learner Autonomy with AI
• 7 Ways to Develop Learner Autonomy
• 5 Benefits of Learner Autonomy
• How to Teach Workplace English