Teachers and student’s perceptions of teaching English as a Second language in small classes

Abstract

The acquisition of a new language is far more complicated when a student is part of a large class. This research reports the findings of a survey study that examined the teachers’ and students’ perceptions of teaching English in small classes, its benefits, strategies and limitations. Data was gathered through the use of a questionnaire with 22 items divided in four large scenarios and took place in two public schools in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Including in this survey were 37 Spanish speaking students between 9 and 16 years old from a low social and academic level, and 5 English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers. After a qualitative analysis of the surveys completed by the participants teachers- students and my own observation, I found that rather than limitations, benefits were observed when teaching English as a Second Language in small classes. The appropriate interaction within a small classroom community along with a supportive strategies and resources used to practice the four skills needed to learn a new language, help to better motivate students to perform better and achieve higher goals in the class.