The Korbo Approach

Most Important Guiding Principle:  Always teach to the middle.  Include material for all 3 levels (see below), then assign leveled activities, and employ leveled assessments.

Reference: TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR MULTI-LEVEL ESL
https://eflmagazine.com/teaching-strategies-for-multi-level-esl-classes/

Note that I don’t call these my “methods”, as surely every technique has been described, modified, and employed by teachers and learners since long ago. The Korbo Approach is based on what I have found to be the most useful combinations of methods which have long been in wide use, and have been most valuable to me in my own learning over a period of 70 years.

1. Plan and present a single ESL topic for each week of 1-hour classes. Begin with a vocabulary list and a summary of the grammar principles which will be the framework for practice.

2. Prepare the topic as 3 paragraphs of related dialogue that establish a) an Introduction and description of the scenario, b) a presentation of the concerns and actions and the roles of the characters, and c) a resolution or comment that will aid the students’ retention of the content.

3. Present the dialogue content as 3 levels: DELF/DALF* A1, B1, C1.

The first paragraph should be at the Elementary (Beginner) level (DELF A1).

The second paragraph should be at the Intermediate level (DELF B1).

The third paragraph should be at the Advanced level (DALF C1).

Use classroom commands: Look, Watch, Listen, Say, Repeat, Write, Read, Together, Louder, etc.

Day 1. On the first class day of a new topic week, introduce the target vocabulary while displaying the words on cards or slides, showing simple pictures to illustrate. Use large font labels. Read and repeat each word out loud, then call for your class members to repeat in unison after you. Consider using PowerPoint as a reinforcement training backup. Following the initial presentation of the vocabulary with the entire class, go around the room, student by student and word by word, and have each repeat the word out loud.

Read the dialogue out loud while students look at the text.

Answer their questions.

Day 2. Start the period by reading the dialogue out loud again (while students look at the text), then hide the text and have the entire class read out loud in unison, sentence by sentence, after your recitation. Then go around the class, asking one student, then the next, repeat a sentence after your prompt. Go through the entire dialogue as many times as are necessary to give every student a turn.

Day 3. Be sure to have questions for your students to ask each other to act out variations on syntax and the scenario. Have them practice reciting the dialogue, then have them write each sentence one at a time.

Day 4. Review and prep day. Present sample test questions, T/F, Multiple choice, Fill in the blank, Complete the sentence (free style).

Day 5. Test and assessment day. Use half the period to administer and grade the weekly quiz. Announce the topic of the coming week, and interview each student separately to give feedback and encouragement.

Week by week, advance to build on the knowledge and experience of the previous weeks. In my experience, this approach will result in the most reliable and rapid progress.

* DELF/DALF - Diploma in French Language Studies / Advanced French Language Diploma (Diplôme d'Etudes en Langue Française / Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française) are official qualifications awarded by the French Ministry of Education to certify the competency of candidates from outside France in the French language. While DELF corresponds to levels A1-A2 and B1-B2 (elementary and intermediate), DALF corresponds to levels C1-C2 (advanced).

These levels structures can be employed handily in reference to the study of and competency in any language – in our case, to English. There are other systems of classification, such as:

CEFR – refers to the Common European Framework of Reference. Organized basically the same as DELF/DALF, the levels of foreign language competence are: Beginner (A1-A2), Intermediate (B1-B2), and Advanced (C1-C2).

ACTFL language levels published by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language, are Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior, and Distinguished. These levels are commonly referred to by numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and they describe what language users are able to spontaneously do in a language in regard to speaking, writing, listening, and reading.