Teaching English in large classes in the primary and secondary schools: Problems and suggestions

"Given that class size is most unlikely to be reduced in the foreseeable future, teachers need to come to terms with their problems" (Hayes 1997, 106-116). The purpose of this article is to emphasize the problems faced in teaching English in large classes in the primary and secondary schools and to develop a variety of suggestions so as to deal with these problems. In the study, the theoretical information concerning language teaching in large classes has been assessed and also a questionnaire has been conducted in order to report students' views on the subject. In addition, based on the data obtained from the questionnaire and the theoretical background, the article has, on the one hand, attached great importance to the problems that limit the English teaching in large classes, and on the other, it has underlined the fact that the personnel and material resources in large class are not serious problems but rather can be an effective factor in teaching English, if properly practised along with the suitable teaching methods.