Bridging the Divide: Grouping EFL Undergraduate Students Based on Their Language Proficiency
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23918/ijsses.v11i4p31Keywords:
English as A Foreign Language, English Language Proficiency, Grouping the Students, Undergraduate EFL StudentsAbstract
Grouping students based on their abilities has been a long-standing practice and grouping them based on their English language proficiency has not been an exception. While teachers and some students believe that it is a very good concept to be practiced, and it is very beneficial, others argue that it is detrimental to students and mainly to their mental health. The purpose of the research was to explore the concept, assess its advantages and disadvantages of practicing it, and then conclude whether it is beneficial or detrimental to the academic status of teachers and students. Two survey questionnaires – one for the teachers and one for the students – were distributed in the context of Tishk International University in Erbil, Kurdistan Regional Government to obtain their perspectives regarding grouping students based on their English language proficiency. A total of 15 university teachers and 125 students participated in this study. A mixed-methods approach was used to analyze quantitative and qualitative data to get more comprehensive and detailed results. The results and findings of this research revealed that the majority of the study samples expressed their approval regarding the concept, for it was beneficial for both parties. The foremost reason for teachers was they would be able to prepare and teach customized topics for each group depending on their needs, which will help them improve at a faster pace and see progress earlier.
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