Quick answer: To select EFL material at the right level, first find out what your learners can actually do in each skill – speaking, listening, reading and writing – because most students are stronger in some skills than others. Then choose core material pitched at (or just below) the group’s middle, and adjust the task, not just the text, so weaker and stronger learners are both stretched. Graded resources such as levelled coursebook series and multi-level news lessons make this much easier.
Selecting appropriate material for different level language learners can be difficult, particularly for new teachers. Even within an intermediate level class, for example, English ability can vary greatly and learners themselves may be stronger in one area of the language, in writing, for example, than in speaking. All of this can provide quite a headache for the teacher in terms of appropriate material selection.
Why is one ‘level’ never the whole story?
As an illustration, imagine we have Hiroko in our upper-intermediate multi-lingual class. Hiroko is from Japan and is strong in writing and in understanding written English and grammar, but because of the way English is taught in Japan, and for cultural reasons, her spoken English ability is more limited. In essence, she is like a lot of learners we have taught from Japan, with a (roughly) pre-intermediate (B1) level in spoken communication and an upper-intermediate (C1) written and grammatical ability. So, how do we ensure she does not struggle with speaking material when the other members of our C1 group are more fluent?
The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) is the standard scale most coursebooks and exams use, and it is worth knowing how the labels map onto each other when you are choosing material:
| CEFR level | Common coursebook label | What learners can typically do |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Beginner | Basic phrases, introductions, very simple questions |
| A2 | Elementary | Everyday routine exchanges, simple descriptions |
| B1 | Pre-intermediate / Intermediate | Deal with most travel situations, express opinions simply |
| B2 | Upper-intermediate | Interact fluently with native speakers, argue a viewpoint |
| C1 | Advanced | Use language flexibly for social, academic and professional purposes |
Remember, though, that a learner like Hiroko can sit at two different points on that table at the same time, depending on the skill. If you are unsure where your students sit, a quick placement activity helps – you can even send them our free online Test my English level quiz, and there is more guidance in our post on what level your English language learner is.
What do you do when a learner is weaker at speaking?
Firstly, if the focus of the lesson is geared to reading and writing, then Hiroko should be OK with upper-intermediate level written tasks. But when it comes to speaking, she may struggle with higher level material. In this case, we may need to ensure Hiroko has extra support. That could be through pairing her with another learner of a slightly lower level, so that they can practice at roughly the same standard. In this case she won’t be made to feel embarrassed and may be more able to try out the language, growing in confidence.
You could also give stronger pairs more speaking tasks to cover together so they are stretched, and give weaker pairs fewer. There are plenty more pairing and differentiation techniques in our guide to teaching mixed ability classes.
Where can you find materials graded by level?
A key to success in the classroom is learning what material is appropriate for various levels. One of the best resources I have found is the Macmillan Straightforward series. It is well worth a look as you can review the kind of material that is appropriate for beginners right the way up to advanced learners; it is a series we suggest to trainees on our accredited TESOL courses. You can explore the series and sample material at macmillanstraightforward.com.
It is also possible to use the same core material for class but give stronger or weaker learners a version of it, graded for difficulty. Breaking News English publishes a range of treated news articles which you can read and/or listen to at a variety of levels. Take a look here: breakingnewsenglish.com.
If you would rather have a ready-made set of lessons already organised by level, our 30 ready-to-print instant TEFL lessons are graded across a range of levels and need almost no preparation.
How can you learn what each level ‘sounds like’?
Another way to approach matching material to level is to learn what different levels of students are generally capable of. This can be done by searching in YouTube for examples of elementary, intermediate or advanced English speakers, for instance.
You can see an example of a pre-intermediate East-European student, Tatiana, speaking in the video below. In this intermediate class I was leading, Tatiana was a weaker speaker so it was great to see her being brave and speaking up in front of the other students.
What should every learner get out of your lesson?
It is good to remember that while we want all our learners to leave our lessons having learned something or being able to do something they couldn’t before, that might not be the same thing for each learner. Understanding our learners’ strengths and weaknesses, employing good classroom management techniques, having a store of appropriate material for various levels to draw on will all help our students to engage meaningfully with class content.
Well-chosen material also makes speaking activities far more productive – see our tips for TEFL discussion classes for how to turn a text at the right level into genuine conversation.
I hope that these ideas are helpful for you as you consider what might work in your classes. If you have further ideas yourself, please share them below.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find out my students’ level quickly?
Use a short placement task in the first lesson: a five-minute chat, a short graded reading and a few written sentences. Compare what you see against CEFR descriptors. You can also ask students to take a free online placement quiz, such as the Global English Test my English level tool, before the course starts.
Should I pitch material to the strongest or weakest students?
Neither extreme. Pitch core material at or slightly below the middle of the group so nobody is lost, then differentiate the tasks: give stronger learners more questions, harder questions or extension work, and give weaker learners fewer questions or more support. The same text can serve the whole class if the tasks vary.
What if one student is strong in writing but weak in speaking?
This is very common. Treat level as skill-specific: give that learner higher-level reading and writing tasks, but pair them with a sympathetic partner for speaking and let them prepare answers before open-class feedback. Confidence in speaking usually grows once they can practise without pressure.
Are graded readers and levelled news sites worth using?
Yes. Multi-level resources such as Breaking News English publish the same story at several difficulty levels, so you can run one theme with the whole class while each learner reads or listens at a level that suits them. That saves preparation time and keeps mixed groups working together.
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What next?
* Discover our TESOL online courses which all cover material selection and levels
* Learn Top tips on correcting spoken English in the EFL classroom
* Grab our ready-to-print instant lessons, graded across levels