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This lesson unit dealt with troubleshooting in the classroom and how to deal with certain difficulties that a teacher may face in the classroom, namely reluctant students, use of native language in the classroom, difficulties regarding listening texts, as well problems which may arise from dealing with large or mixed-level classes, and even first lessons. When dealing with the first issues--reluctant students--it is recommended that we as teachers use plenty of pairwork, controlled practice, role-play, and even a tape recorder. All of these will hopefully, albeit in different ways, encourage reluctant students to practice or participate comfortably. As someone who has taught in the classroom and dealt with timid students before, these suggestions seem to me to be potentially very beneficial and helpful. In regards to dealing with the use of the native language in the classroom, this course emphasized maintaining the use of English as much as absolutely possible and allowing the native language only when absolutely necessary. Despite this last point, the teacher should, however, only respond to questions in English. Beyond that, the instructor should always seek to avoid the use of native language in the classroom by ensuring that the level of work is appropriate for the students. Another difficulty that may potentially be faced in the classroom is student difficulty with listening texts. The key here is to not be discouraged and simply abandon listening cassettes in the classroom. This is, of course, highly detrimental to the students' development and is something that needs to be persevered through. In regards to mixed-level classes, the instructor has several options: he or she can avoid addressing the issue and allow each student to proceed and develop at their own pace; pair stronger students with weaker ones, allowing the latter to benefit from the help and advanced skills of the former; use different materials for each skill level in the classroom; use the same material yet assign different tasks to the different groups. All of these of course, have their potential benefits and disadvantages and it is up to the instructor to decide which is best for their particular class. Finally, their is the issue of first lessons. Although the level of difficulty in regards to these may vary depending on whether of not the group is completely new EFL or not, the important thing for any first lesson is for the teacher to establish rapport with the students. If he or she fails to do so, it will only lead to greater frustration and difficulty down the road, so it is essential that the teacher avoid referring to the book or deeply diving into subject matter.Instead, he or she should use a variety of activities to establish a good relationship with the students and learn about them and as to why they want to learn English, as well as their abilities.
