EFL Teachers Teach Heterogeneous Classroom in One Junior High School in Medan: A Phenomenological Study

Teachers, of course, need to have some ways in handling students with various skills in a classroom. This research was done in One Junior High School in Medan. There were five EFL teachers participated in this study. Researcher used a qualitative which focused on phenomenology as the research method. Some findings were categorized into some themes. The findings showed some students’ diversity aspects such as Current Level of English, Potential Learning Ability, Motivation, Learner Independence and Autonomy Personality, Learning Style, Confidence, Discipline and Interest. These aspects of diversity were according to Goncharova’s theory (2003). These findings also indicated that teachers ought to motivate their students to result on the performance of the students in teaching and learning process and Furthermore, teachers should have strategies that can take students’ interests to study. Most importantly, teachers needed to be able to understand each of their students well because teachers have to cooperate with all mixed-ability students well during the teaching and learning process. In short, teachers can take advantage of approaching and talking in personal, creating more enjoyable activities and making a contract of language-learning with the students whose very uncooperative. EFL teachers who face the heterogenous classes do not need to be perturbed on how to manage students with different ability. The more teachers apply a mixture of strategies, the easier they teach the heterogenous classes and the better the learning outcome will be.


INTRODUCTION
mentions that heterogeneous classes as well as mixed ability students describe that there are various students' different proficiency skills. This reveals that teachers must realize this condition from the very beginning and already prepare themselves to face those mixed ability students where they, of course, distinguish in some aspects like competence, intelligence, characteristics and many more. These students also have different ability to comprehend material, get the knowledge in term of the speed. It can be said that some students ease to understand what teachers explain, some need to understand the material a bit slower and the rests are very hard to comperehend the material by their own selves so they need a hand to help them. This, indeed, explains that the speed of every student in learning is totally different. Therefore, teachers need to deal with it. This situation can be drawn in the way students respond in the class differently. It can be acceptable that each student has strength and weakness and they will have progress unequally.
Since each student bring different background to the table, it is comprehensible that they come from different educational, knowledge and family background. To have effective teaching and learning, teachers need to pay much attention to their students as the efforts of monitoring students progress in learning. In its implementation, teachers will find many obstacles and barriers and they should consider this as a challenge for themselves that will shape them to a better version. Bremner (2008) adds that many problems like maturity, students' learning styles, language levels, mother tongue, motivation and so on and so forth are of course possible to impact student's progress. Thus, teachers should realize that these things cannot be ignored merely. Teachers have to think how to overcome the problems. Looking at those problems that teachers have in heterogenous classes, teachers behove to engage appropriate strategy that afford to manage these mixed ability students.
In line with the previous sentence, it reveals that suitable strategy will assist teachers in handling both strong students to not being forbearing and weaker students to not getting pressure. Those students will feel pleasant with the right strategy used by teachers. In short, that is one of reasons why teachers need to have appropriate strategy. Strong students are able to learn quickly. Teachers somehow just need to explain one time then they comprehend it well. Strong students, on the other words, are easy to seat on their spot because they will be with their world and they can manage themselves in learning something, they strongly have their own way to learn or they can be called as more independent students. Meanwhile, teachers need an extra effort in teaching weaker students because they cannot understand even teachers already explain it simply. Those weaker students are easy to be distracted especially if they study in a noisy class. They cannot focus on the lesson. Although students get the same treatment but the result will seem different, (Iloanya, 2014).
Considering all those explanations above, researcher has a purpose to research about these mixed ability students that focus on how EFL teachers manage the heterogeneous classes and overcome all the obstacles they find during the process of teaching and learning process. Researcher, by all means, interest to entitle her research as 'English Teacher Teach Heterogenous Classroom in One Junior High School in Medan.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Having complex effort is one of determinants of teaching for understanding. Since all students should be given an access to challenge learning task academically and to participate equally. This is as one of objectives of pedagogical components. Teachers, of course, have to be able to organize the classroom and to facilitate the students especially for students in heterogeneous classroom. There are always students with different abilities in one class. This is the so-called as heterogeneous classroom in which there are various levels of students' abilities. So that teachers must be able to cope themselves with it. Teachers are not only demanded to organize the classroom well but also they ought to be able to design the material, to manage the students, to improve teaching skills, to evaluate students and many more. Teaching students with mixed ability is not that easy. Teachers need to have effective ways to make the class done conducively. Approriate teaching strategies should be had by teachers. One of them is groupwork. This strategy is very recommended to be applied in heterogenous classroom. Groupwork can unite mixed ability students so that there iw no more gap between one students to others. Those students who seat in a groupwork can learn together. Strong students can help those weaker students. This collaborative learning give a positive impact on students' outcomes.
In line with it, the use of peers is beneficially supported in heterogenous classroom. Teachers are allowed to take advantages on students' academic differences. Dividing students on groupwork can be potentially reduce the possibility of squabble happened in heterogenous classroom. Next, providing appropriate challenges is expected can impact student's motivation in learning. Thus, they can compete each other. Since in heterogeneous classroom, there is significant difference on students' attitudes. Strong students are indeed easy to become bored if they are already done with the exercise. They tend to achieve the learning objectives quickly. Meanwhile, those weaker students will be much slower to even understand the material. Many factors influence them such as student's prior knowledge, interest, language skills, motivation, study skills, learning styles, experience and many more. Hence, teachers can capitalize learning model and teaching strategy. Then, teachers are also demanded to know students' needs. experiences, and so on (Smith, 2016). EFL teachers who teach mixed ability students will distinguish well in terms of students' motivation in learning English, students' needs, students' interests, students' abilities, students' learning styles, and many more. In addition, Baker (2002) states that teacher experience a great challenge everyday. Teachers cannot avoid the fact that it is hard for them to take all students' attentions and interests. This situates teacher to be easier to get stressed because of students' lack of motivations. Meanwhile, teachers cannot neglect about time allocation of English teaching which is really short and they have no enough time to manage all the weaker students, (Bowen, 2013). This is similar with Tomlinson's argument (2001) that different cultures and learning styles explain about the view of mixed ability students clearly.
Moreover, Goncharova (2003) explains about some aspects such as latest students' English levels, students' potential learning abilities, students' motivations, students' learning styles, students' independences and personality attitudes and characteristics and so on and so forth. Furthermore, for the first one, students' English levels refer to their English proficiency levels, the students' abilities in using their English competence for all skills such as speaking skill, listening skill, reading skill and writing skill, (Ling-Ying, 2014). Then, students' potential leaning abilities that refer to their learning speed. Ajmatl., et., al (2013) states that when students learn, they have different speeds, they begin from very beginner to advanced level. These speeds are categorized into two such as strong and fast students and weaker students. Strong students can learn faster and easier but weaker students are hard to learn. Besides, strong students can finish their exercise before their classmates meanwhile weaker students will do their exercise slowly. Weaker students do not have self-esteem and cannot be disciple as they are easy to get distracted and lose their concentration at anytime. This can cause a chaos class if the teachers cannot manage it well unless the teachers use an appropriate strategy to deal with that problem. Undoubtedly, teachers will feel insufficient and even get depressed to confront with the class, (Hess, 2001). Next, students' motivation also influence a lot in the name of student's progress and development. Teachers need to grasp students' interests so they can be interested in learning when they find a related topic with their experiences. If students feel familiar with the topic, like authentic material, they will feel fun and highly motivate to learn.
Additionally, there are three groups of students' learning styles, they are visual, auditory and kinesthetic. First, visual learning style where students learn by looking at what they learn. Second, auditory learning style where students learn by listening what they learn. Last, kinesthetic learning style where students learn by doing and moving the object they learn, (Bremner, 2008). Moreover, in students' independences and personality, teachers sought to never stop motivating and giving positive feedback to the students as these ways can help students to develop well. Students, indeed, seek to get a positive personality from their teacher because this can make them feel comfortable. Student's feeling can impact a lot in their learning process and teachers who teach with heart influence their teaching process. These both combinations will give a better result on students' learning outcomes. In this case, teachers ought to get students' interests. So that, teachers and students should work collaboratively. Moreover, a discussion in the types of various working groups can help students to deal with dificulties they meet in the classroom. One of the goals of having these strategies is that to create fun yet positive environment that can capitalize a better learning.

A. Research Design
Creswell (2007) mentioned that qualitative research set naturally and it focuses on participants' views, and participants' experiences. Next, non probability or purposive sampling was the method of choice for most qualitative research. Patton (1990 as cited in Christensen and Johnson, 2008) stated, "purposeful sampling is used to describe the process in develop inclusion criteria to be used in selecting participant of the research and site because individuals or cases are selected that provide the information needed to address the purpose of the research". In this study, researcher used a purposeful sampling with a convenience case strategy, (Cresswel, 2007). In addition, Creswell (2007) wrote, "convenience cases, which represent sites or individuals from which researcher can access and easily to collect data". In this study, researcher purposefully took five EFL teachers and to get access to them, networking with the school was used. The convenience case strategy was appropriate for collecting data in order to achieve the purpose of this study. They might help me to collect the data related to their hidden and explicit attractors to teaching by sharing their feelings, thoughts, and perspectives.
Qualitative research also describe rich narrative. Researcher, in this study, used Phenomenology which focused on participants' experiences in teaching, controlling and managing heterogenous classes. So that participants were freely to express their lived experiences particularly in teaching mixed-ability students. Phenomenological study included participants' point of views regarding to their personal experiences toward something they got in life. Participants' perspectives could not be manipulated by somebody else because it was purely from their own phenomena. This phenomenological study was used to acquire the understanding about EFL teachers' experiences in teaching heterogenous classes in One Junior High School in Medan. Besides, it explored more deeply about the participants' lived experiences on how to deal with those mixed-ability students. The participants, of course, were not anxious and pressured in expressing their own perspective because the researcher seek to explore the obstacles, barriers and also what strategies they implemented in teaching students with various different skills.

B. Data collection and participants
Creswel (2007) mentions that phenomenological study can be done with five to twenty five participants who experience the same phenomenon. Creswel (2007) adds that researcher can use the criteria of finding the participants that would be included in the study by selecting the participants as appropriate as the needs of the research. There were five EFL teachers participated in this study. In collecting the data, researcher interviewed the participants and recorded it. Researcher used in-depth interview. In-depth interview was used to obtain deep information about researcher's beliefs, thought, reasons, feeling on toward the topic of the study. This was done in informal environment. Since environment was one of crucial factors to encourage the participants to express their thought about the topic of the research. By this, researcher was able to seek the information until it saturated. Researcher, indeed, prepared the question in the form of semistructure questions before conducting the interview. The protocol questions were essentials to guide the process of interview. While, additional question was possible coming during the process of interview. Researcher also prepared the interview protocol. Further, researcher used semistructured interview. Researcher would prolong the questions of interview as the new ideas come up during the interview based on what interviewee's information.
Researcher would gather the data as many as possible. Therefore, the interview protocol here was used as a guidance only where the researcher could do the interview straight in line but researcher could stay on track even the new ideas come up. Researcher did not limit the questions because the main purpose of doing in-depth interview was to gain the information until it could answer the research questions. And participants had their own right to speak in Bahasa or English. Then, the section of interview could be more than one meeting. Therefore, researcher should be able to make good relationship with the participants so participants are pleased to be asked for the next interview session. If researcher could not get the new information from the participants and there was no more questions because the participants' answers had already met with the research questions. This means that the interview had come to an end and researcher was better to stop for collecting the data. Researcher expressively asked the participants and freely used prompts to dig the data information. Researcher had ethics for interviewing the participants. First, researcher arranged the place and time for interviewing which allow the participants please the meeting. Second, before interviewing, researcher should explain in details about all information of the study and explain that participants have right to not answer unpleasant questions according to their views. Third, researcher kept in strict confidence about what participants already said. And fifth, participants were allowed to answer the question in the language they are comfortable with. After conducting interview, researcher tried to paraphrase the participants' answers to make sure the actual data. Researcher then asked about a pseudonym to the participants. So participants did not need to be worry for the future. Researcher, hence, find the information about participants as complete as well. After that, researcher needed to arrange the time for meeting. By this reason, researcher has powerful to devise the samples. This audio recorder was as a main means. Researcher used interview protocol and researcher did in-depth interview individually for each participant. The interview was conducted more than one time. This was for gaining a depth understanding and having fully information needed for the research. But the interview was done based on the participants' willingness.
The researcher also let the participants chose the language they were comfortable to use with, either Bahasa or English. Furthermore, researcher informed everything including the aims of the research. Researcher might not interrupt the participants when the interview was going on. When all the data needed were enough and researcher felt that the data met research questions already, researcher began to transcribe the interview carefully. To avoid misinterpretation in interview transcript, researcher let each participant to listen and suit them all with the transcript that already written by researcher. This was done to let the participant know that researcher would not add her personal opinions. So that all the data purely came from the participants.

C. Technique of Data Analysis
According to Creswel (2007), researcher analyzed the data by taking benefits of interview transcripts because it was primary sources of the research. Researcher transcribed the data interview wholly based on what participants already mention in the interview. Then, researcher had member checking as support system in helping the researcher. This was done as the way to avoid error in the translation. After that, researcher also asked the supervisor or colleagues to check the researcher's bias in the data.
After doing them all, researcher started to find the similarities and differences. Researcher categorized them all in themes and code them into sub-themes as it was needed. Researcher then started to identify the themes and sub-themes after the process of analyzing and coding. Researcher had to seek a complete data based on the themes and sub-themes to meet the objective of the research and answer the questions of the research as well.

D. Ethical considerations and Trustworthiness
Based on the qualitative research perspective about the credibility of participants sight towards the result. Trustworthiness was applied in this research as an aid of finding the validity of qualitative study. Furthermore, researcher respected the decision of the participants who did not want to be mentioned in the research vividly. Due to the things that might be happened in the future, researcher used a pseudonym to give participants' human rights. Hence, by doing this, it could hide and guarantee their future as well. Researcher hide the name of participants, sites, and places. Basically, these four things such as credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability take place in qualitative research (Brown, 2001).
First, for credibility of the trustworthiness, researcher did some steps, member checking, as for instance. Researcher checked the participants' data with the participants. Then, prolonged engagement and repeted interview with participants were used by researcher to prepare thick descriptions. In addition, the ability of counting the change is called as dependability. Researcher could use many ways in gathering data, it is usually called as triangulation. There are multiple techniques for collecting data like interview, questionnaire, observation and document collection. Next, it comes to tranferability. Brown (2001) states that it is in turn where the result of the study is generalized to another context. Last, it is about confirmability. Brown (2001) also defines about confirmability that there will be possible if the interpretation of the study is confirmed to another.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION
This research is keen to explore how EFL teachers teach heterogenous classes, what strategy teachers apply in their class, and many more. There are three themes in this study, they are 1) Student's diversity, 2) Teachers' obstacles and challenges in teaching mixed-ability students, 3) Teachers' strategies in managing the heterogenous classes.

A. Student's diversity
According to the theory of Goncharova (2003), there are some aspects which view about student's diversity, they are age and maturity range, current English levels, motivation, potential learning, autonomy personality, confidence, discipline and interests.
Teacher 1 mentioned that each student, indeed, has different ability. As I find in my class, even my students are coeval but they have different range of maturity for instance their critical thinking. Thus, I see each of them is unique with their own characters especially these differences are very clear when they show their interest like their topic and material references. Since the students also have different motivation in learning, their progress reveal it clearly.
Then, teacher 2 and 4 have similar explanation about students' potential learning ability they found in their own class.
Teacher 2 explained that my students develop differently. This can be valued through their background or current English level. Since they come with different levels to the class so that they improve diversely. Some students are very fast in comprehending, doing and finishing the task. Meanwhile, some weaker students get it really hard to study, and they need a fully guideline from the teacher. In other words, they leave far behind from others. These weaker students are slow in acquiring the lesson.
Teacher 4 talked about student's prior knowledge. Each student has different English skills. They come with different background. Some are very good at grammar, some are good at speaking, some are good at listening, and some are good at writing. They even have different vocabulary mastery. Their English proficieny levels are also very different. There are some students in basic levels, and the rests of them are in advanced level. Their progress is also different from one another. Some can develop quickly and some can develop slowly. Therefore, teacher plays crucial role to support students' progress in learning, then to help students in improving their English skills. I, myself, realize that I cannot generalize everything. I know that my students have their own process. I cannot equalize their capability. What I need to do is to make their English better than before.
Meanwhile, Teacher 3 said that I am so confused what I should do deal with my mixedability students in the class. I have given them suitable teaching media, I always consider the students' learning styles (visual, auditory and kinesthetic) before I implement a particular teaching method in the class. Even though, I treat all students in the same way, but their progress is diverse. I feel that teaching heterogenous classes is challenging me to be more patient.
In line with teacher 3, the same view is stated by teacher 5 that giving the same treatment to mixed-ability students cannot guarantee that they will result equal. My students in about 60 percents are really hard to express their ideas. Teacher 5 is aware that there are both active and passive students in a class. Strong students can be said as active students because they learn actively. They confide themselves as someone who is able to learn everything easily. This self confidence is a must to have as a positive mindset in learning. Meanwhile, weaker students sometimes show that they learn, use and communicate the language passively. They are less confidence too. They are affraid of making mistakes. So everytime I ask them, all The view of participants about students' diversity above showed a link between students' mixed-ability with teachers' obstacles and challenges in teaching heterogenous classes which is in the second theme of the finding in this study. Researcher highlights that some differences aspects of the students that mostly experienced by the teachers are students' current levels, students' learning styles, students' motivations and interests, and students' learning potential.

B. Teachers' obstacles and challenges in teaching mixed-ability students
Looking at the student's diversity that already mention by all teachers, of course, communicate how EFL teachers face all obstacles and face the challenges as well. Based on the theory of Goncharova (2003) about the aspects of mixed-ability students, these aspects place to challenge themselves in making a better version of their teaching way. Teachers' obstacles will always be there as long as the students are diverse each other in the matter of characteristics, learning progress, learning styles, and many more.
Teacher 1 stated that "my greatest obstacle is to manage strong students and weaker students during the process of teaching and learning. The learning speed of students is driving me crazy because the difference is quite far from one another. For instance, the faster students just need one time to scrutinize the teacher's explanation. In case of the teacher deliver the material well and use a simple explanation. They will master it promptly. It is on the other hand with weaker students, I sometimes feel very exhausted. I already use easy and simple way in explaining the material, but they still ask what I talk about. This makes me a bit stressed. Therefore, I think that is the obstacle that I really need to deal with". Teacher 2 said that "I always find the strong students finish their task earlier and faster than their friends. Meanwhile, I have the obstacle on how to make strong students to keep busy even after they finish their task. These strong students should seat nicely. If they are allowed to do everything they want to do, this will cause a chaos situation. Then, the obstacle take its place, weaker students get distracted and they cannot control their concentration anymore. I need to overcome this problem". Teacher 3 mentioned that my obstacle is when I try to explain the material. Since the students have mixed-ability so I get it difficult in term of the use of language instruction. Some students always complain about the language instruction whereas I do not use a full English instruction, I always mix my language instruction both Bahasa and English, the comparison is about forty and sixty. Besides, when I explain with English, I also translate it in Bahasa.
Teacher 4 stated that the obstacle and the challenge is my weaker students have low motivation in learning English and they mock those students who are keen to learn like 'Speak Bahasa only, we are not English or American. This is Indonesia you know'. They do this everytime they look at their friends trying to use English. So that I need to encourage those weaker students much more than strong students.
Teacher 5 explained that finding and using apropriate strategies are challenging me a lot because I know my student's ability. I always try to find the best teaching method, and teaching media that can help me to make my students reach the learning objectives. Particularly, the weaker students ease to get bored and this challenges me to provide the suitable teaching media and also additional teaching material.
From the information given by all the participants above, researcher figures out that most frequently obstacles and challenges faced by teachers are students' potential learning, students' motivations, teaching method, and instructional language used in the class. Thus, teachers need appropriate strategies to manage the heterogenous classes and to control mixed-ability students. By having appropriate strategies, it is expected that the process of teaching and learning can be effective and the learning outcome can be optimal. Further, teachers can be less depressed if the class run well. Both teachers and students need to work together. This is done as an aim to reach the learning objectives.

C. Teachers' strategies in managing the heterogenous classes
This theme will meet to answer the research questions, What strategies do EFL teachers use in teaching heterogenous classes? And why do EFL teachers consider those strategies effective to manage the mixed-ability students?. By knowing all EFL teachers' experiences in teaching heterogeneous classes in terms of the trategies they used to manage the mixed-ability students. Researcher use Goncharova's theory as a means to answer the research questions like age and maturity range, current English levels, motivation, potential learning, autonomy personality, confidence, discipline and interests.
Teacher 1 stated that students in grade 7 of junior high school were still not quite far from primary students. It meant that the student's concentration were alike. They are easy to get distracted by other students. Therefore, teachers should make it conducive by providing extra material and additional task. This aims to take students' attentions to keep focusing on the material. Particularly strong students, they were able to finish their task faster so that by having additional material and task, the students can keep focusing on learning. If strong students are busy to answer the task or to have extra material, other weaker students are possible to be handled by the teachers. Hence, I always have extra material and additional task in every meeting. Since these ways can help me to manage my mixed-ability students to keep effective and efficient.
Furthermore, teacher 2 explained that I encouraged both strong students and weaker students even I know strong students are sometimes easy to be noticed because they can learn faster. All students should be allowed to use English no matter what. I need to keep using English as language instruction during the class even the students use Bahasa. I ought to make friends between students with the language, English. So they can be motivated to improve their language skills. Thus, I make it as a habit in the class. Besides, I correct students' English speaking performance indirectly. I may not interrup students during their performance because it can make them feel reluctant to use English. So that I can give feedback right after their performance. I also can motivate the students by giving positive feedback like saying 'great, awesome, goodjob, the best and so on', but if the students do not perform well, I can tell them wisely. For example, 'It is good but I know you do better, it is okay you have tried your best but...... and many more". By doing this, I am possible to motivate the students to love English.
In addition, teacher 3 mentioned that I use simple language in explaining the material. I provide authentic example that link with the students' life so that students were being more interested to learn because they could relate with the topic I discussed. Since I know that each student has different learning styles, I will adapt the teaching method with the students' learning styles (visuals, auditory, and kinesthetic) by providing video, audio, and many more.
Furthermore, teacher 4 said that to make I ask strong students to assist me for handling weaker students. For instance, if the strong students finished their task, I will ask them to help their friends who have not finished yet. I usually reward them by saying 'thank you for helping your friend, you are great', and said it personally. Then, I also set up students' disciplines during the learning and teaching process. Students need to be aware that they cannot everything they want during the lesson, there are rules that they need to obey. By practising the students' discipline, I expect that way could make sure the success of the learning and manage the difference of students' disciplines. Giving punishment is one of examples. I did not give them a useless punishment but fruitful. For example, I noticed them if they are playing all the time in the lesson, I would like to give them assignment and homework. Then I also inform them that all I need was they learn well.
Moreover, teacher 5 stated in line with the statement of teacher 4 that I always consider a teaching method that is appropriated with the material. By having appropriate teaching method, my material can be more comprehensible by the students. Grouping strong students with weaker students, for example, is used to blend students so that they can share and learn together. I would monitor them during the group discussion. The students cooperate each other.
Researcher undeline some important strategies that all participants have been explained above. Due to the strategies teachers used in heterogenous classes, mixed-ability students are much easier to be managed and it helped them to reach the learning objectives.

CONCLUSION
Based on the findings discussed before, researchers conclude some important things like student's diversity, teachers' obstacles and challenges in teaching mixed-ability students, and teachers' strategies in managing the heterogenous classes. Each of these themes included subthemes like age and maturity range, current English levels, motivation, potential learning, confidence, discipline and interests. The findings showed that all five participants found each student was of course diverse. Since each of them bring different skills and background to the table, this caused them different in some things like learning styles, potential learning ability, motivation, interest and so on. In short, students at different levels in learning are being one of the most considerable problems that should be faced by the teachers. Some of them have competent English skill, some are enough and some are English beginner.
In line with the previous statement, EFL teachers need to learn many teaching methods. They can analyze the suitable teaching method to its material because students' learning styles will impact a lot. Hence, understanding their students' learning style is also a must because it is essential when teachers want to decide and plan the activity of the learning. Teachers should address appropriate teaching strategy with the activity and material and all. So that they can adjust all the things in a packaged. Based on the answers of five participants in this study, they explained different strategies they used in their heterogeneous classes especially for handling the students' learning style with their teaching method implementation. They consider every strategy to ensure the successness of the lesson. In short, it can be said that teacher's creativity is all that matter. Furthermore, teachers give the same treatment to the students but they develop differently. The progress of strong students is significantly increased compare to weaker students. Even though teachers use the same teaching method, material, treatment and encouragement to all students but the result reveal different. Some teachers discover students with less confidence and motivation as a challenge in teaching mixed-ability students because these type of students excite teachers to change them to be better. Teachers, in this case, suppose to think that students' motivation cannot be underestimated as a useless thing. It supports the learning success. Additionally, some teachers also stated that language instruction is being a challenge yet obstacle in teaching. Weaker students disagree about the languange used by the teacher during the class. They prefer to use Bahasa than English.
Students get stressful if teachers use English in explaining and talking in the class. They limit themselves by confessing that they will never understand as long as teachers use English in explaining the material. The fact is that students are lazy and avoid something they do not really good at by labelling it is hard to learn. Since this is the problem that teachers face in heterogenous classes. Bahasa is always being the best language the students will use in the class. Students find themselves easier and better to talk with Bahasa than English.To handle this, teachers try to make students loving English by keep using it in the class. Teachers encourage students to use English no matter their grammar is. Teachers build the students' self-esteems to use English even they are not native speakers. It is based on the experience of one of participants who mentions that the students will mock and criticize other students who are trying to keep using English in the class. Besides, asking the students to not mock their friends, who are trying to practice their English, and to respect them. Teachers also overcome this problem by giving them understanding about the usage of English.
There are some probable ways that can be used to encourage them using the English such as it can be initiated by the teachers to keep using English, teachers will respond those who use English only. Teachers can ignore those who speak in Bahasa or in their native language. This can be a habit where only English want to be heared along the class. In line with this, teachers can create English speaking zone where students are not allowed to use another language unless English in that environment. By doing this, teachers already expose the English immensely. Due to this way, teachers also may not interrupt students during their speaking. If teachers intend to correct their performance, teachers can do it after they finish their speaking because interruption will make students not feel comfortable and it is possible to make them feel reluctant to use English. If teachers give too much correction during their performance, students will be panicky, they worry to make mistake. Hence, teachers behove allow the students to feel pleasant to use English.
In addition, teachers mention there are some available ways that can be utilized in heterogenous classes. First, teachers provide extra material and additional task. Then, in line with Harmer (2007), participants or teachers can ignore the problem as the prompts to think positively. Teachers should believe that students will meet their own level. It means that teachers let the students acquire their knowledge as natural as well and they can improve their skill progressively. Next, teachers can engage the students. This adopts peer help and teaching strategy, strong students assist weaker students. Teachers can place them in a group discussion, or in pairs. This way is of course able to dismiss sensitivity between better and weaker students. Weaker students will not be separated or alienated by those strong students whose more intelligent and well-informed. On other words, teacher initiate to blend the students and to learn from their more knowledgeable peers. To face mixed-ability students, teachers ought to adopt various solutions or strategies.
Moreover, teachers say that many mixed-ability students cannot cooperate well during the teaching and learning process. To handle this situation, teachers can take advantage of approaching and talking in personal, creating more enjoyable activities and making a contract of languagelearning with the students whose very uncooperative. By having this contract, teachers can ask uncooperative students to behave well and if they contravene that contract they will get punishment by the teachers. This contract is a form of actual blueprint agreement from the students that they will be a better learner.
To sum up, there is always a problem to face mixed levels of students. Teachers can try to ask them to work in pair such as form a pair between strong and weak students. This form of pairing can be one of solutions. Since they can work well and it can bond their relationship. Another thing is also good to be done, that is to pair up between strong and strong students or weak and weak students sometimes, but teachers can place those weaker students next to them, so that it can let the strong students get on with it and also work on the weaker students' weakness. Further, teachers should try to avoid seat weaker students on the so-called right in the spot. By calling them at first to to answer a question in front of other students or in an open class. Next, teachers can also try to ask stronger students first and then ask weaker student to repeat the answer. It, indeed, takes time but, once this way works, it can be one way of interactive learnings that becomes habitual. Thus, it must be very effective and productive in terms of class dynamics. Moreover, EFL teachers who face the heterogenous classes do not need to be perturbed on how to manage students with different ability. They can deal with the situation as well by using suitable strategy that can solve all the obstacles they get and overcome all the challenges they face in the class. The more they apply a mixture of strategies, the easier they teach the heterogenous classes and the better the learning outcome will be.