STRATEGIES FOR PREPARING FUTURE FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES OF MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOMS

This paper discusses how future teachers of foreign language can be trained to meet the demands of mixed-ability classrooms. In the mixed ability classes, varying linguistic abilities, cognitive abilities, motivation and socio-emotional qualities are present and it necessitates that teachers have a wide range of pedagogical skills in order to accommodate these differences. The study identifies such innovative strategies in preparing teachers that go beyond the usual methods and such strategies as pedagogical planning, peer coaching, classroom simulation, guided interaction, mentorship, socio-emotional awareness, and a feedback mechanism that is a guarantee of continual improvement. It also addresses methods of professional development that can produce flexible, assured, evidence-based practitioners who can effectively handle heterogeneous learning contexts.