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[NATO]

I have one or two students in some of my classes that are much much better at English than the rest of the class. While I find my lessons to be challenging and useful for the majority of the students I'm concerned that the better students find it too easy and as a result boring. I'm sure lots of you have come across this before and want to know what things you have done to make sure evryone in class is challenged by the material.

[kitano]

I don't honestly know if this is good or terrible advice but I use group work a lot and try to make it so that the best students lead different groups.
I also try to pick things that I could have an interesting conversation with other native/fluent speakers about....

[latefordinner]

<not offering advice, but rather actively lurking>
I have a couple of students that fit this, but they are international students in an otherwise all-Ch class. Far and away too strong for the class they are in. Thinking of offering off-hours work for them, so as to give them more motivation to contribute when they are in class

[SilverMay]

the best students lead different groups.

I would have said put the best students in the same group. This way they can discuss with each other and come up with perhaps more complex answers.

[Stil]

Let 'em sleep. The've earned it.

[Arnold J. Rimmer]

make an effort to speak with them a little before and/or after class. ask them a couple of questions that befit their level.

[The Local Dialect]

make an effort to speak with them a little before and/or after class. ask them a couple of questions that befit their level.

I do this with my good students. They seem to appreciate it.

I also offer optional assignments for the kids who really want to do more. I work at a "key" high school with extra super motivated students and the good ones actually do the extra optional assignments.

Mixed level classes are a real pain in the ass though, especially if you end up with some kids that are very advanced mixed in with those who can hardly throw a sentence together.

[china-matt]

Take them aside and explain that you need them to help the other students--it should make them feel more confident and it'll make your job easier. You might also offer some after class help as part of office hours (if you have any). Or you can find supplemental material for them to work on while you explain mundane activities for everyone else.

[dragonsaver]

I told my good students to help their friends also.  However, I also told them that when you 'teach' you also learn.  I told them if they were a 'B' student and helped a 'D' student, They would become a A- or A student and eventually a A+ student. Their friend would go from a D to a D+ or C-.  So I told them to be selfish, help a friend, but in doing that they would get a higher mark themselves. 

[gonzo]

Get them to correct all those illiterate, incomprehensible "essays" from your Composition A class.
But genuinely, in any form of teaching, you'll have bolters way ahead of the field. Set them some challenging reading: Google Impelling Input Hypothesis re: this. Ask them to paraphrase a page of difficult reading.