Budget cuts and low interest in language are always bad news for French teachers, and one common solution is to combine different levels of French classes, particularly levels 3 and 4. While this is fine for the school budget, the students sometimes get the short end of the stick. There have been numerous discussions about combination classes in the Profs de français forum - here are some thoughts shared by students who have taken combined-level French classes.
Comments from students
As the only level 4, my teacher treated me like an independent study student. While the French 3 students were given their assignments, I had separate ones which were much more challenging and involved more spoken French. If I finished my assignments early, I was permitted to help French 3 with their questions. Often, French 3 came to me with their questions when our teacher was tied up with another student. Sometimes our teacher also gave us joint assignments. Together we would read a novel, and we even performed a French play in front of elementary students. I liked the freedom I had and enjoyed sharing my knowledge of French with the other students.
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The desks of 3rd and 4th level were grouped separately, but all facing the board. The teacher would assign a worksheet or a story to read to one level, then work directly with the other level. For example, she might give 3rd levels a subjunctive practice exercise to do in pairs, then sit with 4th levels to discuss a short story we had read for homework.
Then she'd assign 4's a list of questions or a discussion topic, then go over the subjunctive exercise with the 3rd levels. The two levels rarely did anything together - the main exception being oral presentations, where we all listened to each student. Once a month or so she would introduce a very controversial topic, such as politics or abortion, to one level (usually 4) and encourage a debate, which the other level listened to and later commented on.
Your thoughts
If you are a French (or other language) student or teacher and know what works and what doesn't in the combined-level language classroom, please share your thoughts in the Profs de français forum and I'll add them to this resource.
Comments from students
As the only level 4, my teacher treated me like an independent study student. While the French 3 students were given their assignments, I had separate ones which were much more challenging and involved more spoken French. If I finished my assignments early, I was permitted to help French 3 with their questions. Often, French 3 came to me with their questions when our teacher was tied up with another student. Sometimes our teacher also gave us joint assignments. Together we would read a novel, and we even performed a French play in front of elementary students. I liked the freedom I had and enjoyed sharing my knowledge of French with the other students.
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The desks of 3rd and 4th level were grouped separately, but all facing the board. The teacher would assign a worksheet or a story to read to one level, then work directly with the other level. For example, she might give 3rd levels a subjunctive practice exercise to do in pairs, then sit with 4th levels to discuss a short story we had read for homework.
Then she'd assign 4's a list of questions or a discussion topic, then go over the subjunctive exercise with the 3rd levels. The two levels rarely did anything together - the main exception being oral presentations, where we all listened to each student. Once a month or so she would introduce a very controversial topic, such as politics or abortion, to one level (usually 4) and encourage a debate, which the other level listened to and later commented on.
Your thoughts
If you are a French (or other language) student or teacher and know what works and what doesn't in the combined-level language classroom, please share your thoughts in the Profs de français forum and I'll add them to this resource.