## Listening script

You’re going to hear a talk about education. You will hear the talk twice. The first time, just listen. Then I’ll ask you to tell me generally what the speaker is talking about. Are you ready?

Everyone in the education system wants the best for students, but there are many opinions about how to achieve this. One such debate is whether students should be set in groups based on academic performance or not. In the UK, “setting” is quite common, so secondary students are often placed in classes depending on exam results, leading to “Set 1” containing the highest achievers and “Set 5” the lowest.

There are obvious advantages to this system. Firstly, the teacher can design the class specifically for students at a certain level. If more time is needed to repeat a difficult point, this can be done without wasting the time of students who already understood it. No parent wants to think that their child is being left behind because the teacher is going too fast, and some children can’t keep up. In addition, some studies show that pupils work best with classmates of a similar ability level.

However, there are serious problems with setting. The most obvious is the negative effect that telling students they are in “the bottom set” can have. Those who find themselves in the bottom set are often not stupid, but just have behaviour or emotional problems, and putting them all together can lead to a classroom that is not an effective learning environment. Finally, research suggests that setting students has an overall negative impact on exam results, as those in the top sets do slightly better, but those in the bottom sets do much worse.

I myself was taught in classes that were set by ability, and I had a good experience. But I have also worked as a teacher in both systems, and I must admit that setting seems unfair, and I much prefer mixed groups.

Question 1 - Can you tell me in one or two sentences what the speaker was talking about?

Now listen to the talk again. This time make some notes as you listen if you want to. Then I’ll ask you what arguments the speaker gives for and against setting students by academic performance. Are you ready?

Question 2 - Now tell me what arguments the speaker gives for and against setting students by academic performance. You have one minute to talk. 

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## Answer key

Question 1 - Arguments for and against setting students by academic performance.

Question 2 -

Arguments FOR setting:

• Tailored Instruction: Teachers can design lessons specifically for the ability level of the students in that set.

• Efficient Pacing: Teachers can spend more time reinforcing difficult concepts for students who need it, without holding back those who have already grasped the material. It addresses parental concerns about children being left behind or not keeping up.

• Peer Learning: Some studies suggest that students work best when grouped with classmates of a similar academic ability.

Arguments AGAINST setting:

• Negative Psychological Impact: Being placed in a "bottom set" can negatively affect a student's self-esteem and motivation.

• Concentration of Problems: Lower sets may group together students with behavioral or emotional difficulties (rather than just lower academic ability), potentially creating a challenging and ineffective learning environment.

• Overall Negative Impact on Results: Research indicates that while top sets may perform slightly better, students in bottom sets perform significantly worse, leading to an overall negative effect on exam outcomes across the student population.