Teach English in Hongqiao Qu - Tianjin

young learners vs AdultsIntroduction It is easy to pre-qualify a student's ability based on his/her age rather than his/her learning levels or actual comprehension of materials. Although their are similarities that exist between young learners and adult learners, it is important for english teachers to recognize how each student is different and structure lessons on each class's current learning level. Age should be a minimal factor when learning the english language. How Learners are the Same Despite there being a contrast in age between learners, adult students and young students have much in common. From how the teacher perceives his/her students to how the brain receives information to what the student uses the information for, the entire process is the same regardless of age. Learning begins with a passion and motivation. Each learner needs to possess this will to take in information, mold it and extract from it something tangible. A learner possesses a willingness and desire to not only learn a new language but experiment with it and ask questions about it (Unit 1; pg. 6). Throughout this learning process, the learner progresses through several stages. Both young learners and adult learners alike move through these stages to acquire more language skills and apply them to the surrounding environment (Unit 1; pg. 9). The stages are as follows: 1. Beginner: zero knowledge of english to very basic knowledge that cannot be easily activated 2. Elementary: likely to form basic sentence structures and communicate on simple topics 3. Pre-intermediate: lacking general fluency and depth of language awareness, albe to communicate a larger variety of topics than elementary level 4. Intermediate: able to understand and communicate on wide variety of topics using limited vocabulary but still lacking in accuracy and fluency 5. Upper intermediate: actively communicate on almost all topics using greater range of language but still lacking in accuracy 6. Advanced: very good knowledge of english language and can study more subtle language items To move each student from one level to the next, the teacher needs to use various teaching methods and capitalize on each learner's strengths. It is also up to the teacher to transform each student's weaknesses for learning into strengths for future development (Unit 1; pg. 1). There are a variety of methods for teachers to use so each student is successful in mastering the english language. Although adult learners may be more focused on learning english for business or other professional purposes (Unit 19; pg. 13), both young and adult learners can be found in classrooms, groups or even one-on-one learning with a tutor. The teacher must encourage reluctant students to participate through pair work, controlled practice, or activities like role play (Unit 20; pg. 6). The teacher can also use a variety of games with the class as games help to keep the interest of the students and can be directed to any age group (Unit 19; pg. 7). How Learners are Different It is important to remember how each learning group differs. This can help any teacher to personalize his/her class and keep students engaged. An adult learner is defined as a student who is 18 years of age or more (Unit 1; pg. 6). Adult students are highly motivated to learn as most students have made a choice to learn english (Unit 1; pg. 7). Motivations can differ from student to student as some may want to focus on learning english for business or career purposes, others may want to move to an english-speaking country, or some learners may want to learn english for ease of communication with others (Unit 1; pg. 11). Regardless of motivations, adult learners come to each lesson with specific expectations for learning and mastering a skill (Unit 1; pg. 7). Adult students generally have high expectations of the teacher and of the lesson (Unit 1; pg. 7). Throughout the development of many learning experiences and life experiences, adult learners may be easier for teachers to build rapport with but may also be more challenging to encourage based on past successes or failures in life (Unit 1; pg. 7-8). Adults may also be more nervous about the idea of 'losing face' within the classroom and participation can easily turn into a chore for the teacher (Unit 1; pg. 8). Although little discipline is required when teaching adult learners, extreme patience is still required on behalf of the teacher (Unit 1; pg. 8). Adults are less likely to be comfortable with learning through trial and error compared to young learners (Unit 1; pg. 8) and it generally takes longer for adult learners to comprehend english language skills than it does their younger counterparts (Unit 1; pg. 8). Young learners are defined as learners between the ages of pre-schooler to 17 years of age. Further divided into three age categories, young learners can classify as a young learner of 7 years of age or less, a pre-puberty learner who is 8-12 years of age, or a post puberty learner who is 13-17 years of age (Unit 1; pg. 7). All young learners seem to possess a lack of motivation compared to adult students as well as shorter attention spans (Unit 19; pg. 8). These learners prefer a course that is filled with excitement, games, a variety of activities and to have a teacher who is unafraid to be silly (Unit 19; pg. 9). A teacher acts as a model for all of his/her students. When dealing with students at a younger age it is important for a teacher to remember that he/she is now the 'loco parentis' (Unit 19; pg. 11). It is likely that a teacher will have to deal with student behavioural problems when teaching young learners more so than when teaching adult learners (Unit 1; pg. 8). Although it may be more challenging for teachers to build rapport with younger students, the teacher may find that it is the younger learners and not the adult learners who understand the material more quickly. Young learners will absorb the language around them, learn through trial and error, and formulate ideas and rules on how to use language effectively and accurately. This is called natural language acquisition (Unit 3; pg. 1) and young learners apply the same rules to learning their native language as they do to the english language (Unit 1; pg. 8). Unlike young learners, adult students seem less likely to seek constant teacher approval or get bored easily with a lesson (Unit 19; pg. 8). Business english is a growing field that specializes in adult learners with little to no english experience (Unit 19; pg. 12-13). Groups can be challenging to instruct and diverse in learning ability, it may be difficult to have students commit to completing homework due to normal societal pressures but most students will be highly motivated to learn (Unit 19; pg. 13). The best strategy for all learners is to discover what each student wants from the classroom and prescribe what they need to be successful in the course (Unit 19;pg. 14). Conclusion In conclusion it is easy to say that based on age young learners and adult learners are very different. Both young learners and adult learners have their pros and cons when it comes to building lessons for each class or one-on-one instruction. However, as it has been demonstrated, each age group has overlapping similarities that make lesson construction, building rapport and giving instruction similar regardless of age. Ultimately, students should be addressed and taught based on their previous exposure to and experiences with the english language as well as acknowledged on their current learning level and not their age. Works Cited "Unit 1: Teachers and Learners." (.pdf format) TEFL Teacher's Manual. International TEFL Teacher Training (ITTT) Online. "Unit 3: Theories, Methods, and Techniques." (.pdf format) TEFL Teacher's Manual. International TEFL Teacher Training (ITTT) Online. "Unit 19: Teaching Special Groups." (.pdf format) TEFL Teacher's Manual. International TEFL Teacher Training (ITTT) Online. "Unit 20: Troubleshooting." (.pdf format) TEFL Teacher's Manual. International TEFL Teacher Training (ITTT) Online.