In today’s globalized world, some people think that small classes are the best way to teach a language, whereas others say that we do not have to care about the number of students, as class size does not significantly impact learning outcomes. Although learning a language could be more productive with a small number of people, as it promotes more individualized attention, I believe that the number of students does not matter, because with many students, the environment becomes vibrant, competitive, and interactive.
To commence, small classes play an important part in increasing the effectiveness of students, as attention can be tailored to each learner during language learning. Indeed, if schools begin to implement small classes, the process of learning a language will be easier and faster. With a limited number of students, teachers can work one-on-one and involve them more in lessons. To give just one example, if there are five or six students in an English lesson, then teachers can focus on each learner individually and correct their mistakes. In contrast, if there are many students, teachers may not be able to engage with each student, as they have only a limited amount of teaching time. Therefore, small classes enable learners to make faster progress and achieve their goals more confidently.
Nevertheless, the number of students does not affect the students’ learning process, because larger classes can create a more dynamic and competitive environment. It is true that when there are a large number of students, they are exposed to a variety of accents and perspectives, which enriches their overall language experience. Moreover, they can make the atmosphere more competitive and engaging by playing and participating in different kinds of games to perform better than others. For instance, if there is a large number of students, they can easily find partners to practice speaking. In this case, they will be able to exchange ideas for difficult questions and improve the way they speak the language fluently by using different sentence structures. Consequently, this could be beneficial in creating a more enjoyable and competitive learning journey.
In conclusion, while small classes could foster a faster and more individualized learning process, I firmly contend that with more students, the journey of language learning can be more enjoyable, meaningful, and even more productive without any stress.