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Adult education, also known as andragogy, is the learning process that involves adults. Adults have different learning needs from children and learn differently from them.
The attention in adult learners is higher as they can stay focused on an activity for twenty minutes as opposed to children who can stay focused for no more than ten minutes. While children need a constant change of pace, entertaining and some level of discipline and reward, adults can generally control and motivate themselves.
Various reasons for learning are connected to various methods of teaching.
Nowadays, with online platforms such as Zoom people are able to come together from all over the world and the class can become more interesting also for the trainer. Technology also helps the trainer in sharing videos, pictures and other material which can be the base for further discussion. The chat room can be used to ask questions in writing so that learners have a chance to study them. The trainer can also give homework and hope for the learners to oblige by next time (even though they may be excused if busy), and parts of the completed assignments can be shared on the screen and used as a means for correction.In conclusion, adult learners learn from single points of interest that are close to their experience which the trainer needs to bring out and connect by using different techniques and materials, gradually introducing new language structures and going from controlled practice to free discussion, providing encouragement and building up confidence. The trainer also needs to check learner understanding and make sure they reach a certain level of accuracy and fluency.
ADULT EDUCATION
Firstly I would like to say its never too late to learn, and I will always encourage that in my teaching Adults wanting to learn comes with great courage as the process of them learning as opposed to a child will be way more extensive
more paperwork, brainstorming, realia more patience and more respect
even though adults are self motivated and can easily be directed, they have however being speaking their mother tongue for way longer and to convince and feed and elicit will have its challenges
that being said there is a lot more of a reward as work and lifestyle can change for them, and are not as easily distracted as children
adults are also able to conduct themselves and have way more on the line than a child per say so the eagerness to learn is thereAdult education:
Here the learners have most likely decided themselves that they want to learn a particular language for a certain reason (it could also be their employer who has taken the decision).
They bring their own personal experience into the learning process and can see where the language is useful.They can, however, also be too focused on their own needs for the language, only wanting to learn exactly what they personally need for the job or the holiday.
They might also have learnt something previously which is wrong, and this can be difficult to correct.Adult Education
what to consider when teaching an learning a Language, as taught to us it is considered a process knowledge
is developed from single points of interest of which we can expand to get a great understanding, what we have learnt for Andragogy learning is that in our foundation coarse is that each segment can be organized o represent certain areas of learning , therefore presentation and production unfoldswe have learnt that eliciting, realia, feeding, practice and production plays an immensely important role in this individual’s learning experience
now what motivates the adult? Integrative motivation is the motivation to learn a language, because adults are internally motivated and self directed the learning process compared to Pedagogy is some what different it most likely will have its challenges that being adult s need to be respected perhaps correction if not done correctly can be misconstrued and makes the adult despondent? another factor is that adults are set in certain ways and habits so this can be also a challenge in learning
however there a positives, Adults are goal orientated, practical and less distracted pair work can be so essential, role play and realia with these techniques we can see the adult learner gaining confidence and motivation which must be so rewarding for the trainerill end off by sayin that once I start teaching I will facilitate this mindset …”its never too late to learn” holding a space for the learner is essential as everyone is different
When it comes to language learning, it’s more than okay to admit that you’ve hit a wall or could use a little extra motivation. In fact, it’s bound to happen at some point. Language learning is a long-term process — it takes commitment and enthusiasm. And just like any long-term goal, we all need encouragement from time to time to keep us going.
Why is it important to learn a foreign language?
Basically, the advantages of learning foreign languages have the ability to set you up for success in nearly every aspect of your life. Studies have demonstrated the cognitive benefits of learning another language, no matter how old you are. Also, the ability to quickly switch between tasks is especially important in today’s busy multitasking world.
When we talking about adults, we are thinking in peoples that have a highly degree of maturity, that are self-confidents and autonomous, with the capability to take solid decisions. Generally, adult peoples are more practical, multi-tasking, purposeful, self-directed, and less open-minded and receptive to change. All this characteristic affects their motivation as their ability to learn and should be taken in consideration in order to create the right course content and structure.
Adult learners are usually pragmatic peoples and the need to obtain information or skills useful in their professions are among their expectations. Such a behavior drives adult peoples to prefer practical courses that help them to improve their skills, facilitate their work and boost their confidence. In our particular case, the inlingua courses with a high content of practices, where the LTT is maximum are ideally for adult peoples because it is possible to use their personal experience as a resource in practical exercises. On the same way, the learning is usually voluntary, so attend the school become a personal choice taking with the intention to improve job skill and achieve professional growth. This motivation is the driving force behind learning and is very useful in the inlingua courses because the learners usually are motivating people.Some believe that teaching adults will bring a different set of challenges for trainers in contrast to teaching children. A child will normally start school with little knowledge, allowing them to absorb all this new information, like a sponge. I see this every day, with my two children, they are learning two languages without even realising they are doing it. Yet for me, learning French, is much more of a challenge. I think as adults we come to a class with more knowledge and more life experiences, and perhaps not much room left to absorb new information. Thus, as a trainer, we would have to adjust how we teach accordingly. For us adults the education must be seen to be relevant. By that, we need to be gaining knowledge that will help us in our daily lives. When teaching adults, you need to keep them involved, we want to have a conversation around what is being taught. As noted before children come to a classroom with very little knowledge, but us adults we already have life experiences so the coursework/lessons must reflect this; we do this by offering information that builds on what the adults in the class already know. Adult learners may also wish to explore topics on their own, so that they participate in deciding what is be learned in a class. Adults will also want opportunities to discuss any issues that arise with the course material. But this will also work well for the trainer, as most adult students already have experience in getting feedback in their professional life, so should be more open to guidance from their trainers.
Studying another language helps you grow as a person. It is an activity that favors the development of the brain and to carry out several tasks at the same time. Improves the ability to concentrate.
When studying another language comes for demands, you can suffer from anxiety. In this way, we are not able to function fluently, making progress difficult for the instructor.
The most important aspect regarding adult education is the role the learner plays in the learning process. When it comes to adults, learners are the main characters of the learning process of a new language, since they are likely willing to get completely involved in such a process and put all their efforts in order to achieve their learning goal.
Therefore, trainers must always keep this aspect in mind during every teaching lesson, and they should always make sure that all learners feel the most important part of their learning process by encouraging them to speak as much as they can, and share their different experiences, ideas, points of view, opinions, questions, and doubts with the group. This would help learners to stay motivated and would encourage them to keep doing the best they can with the purpose of getting to dominate the target language. It is vital for learners to know they are the protagonist of the learning process, and, as such, they need to focus all their efforts and motivations on learning the target language in order for them to successfully achieve their goals.
Social inclusion is the process of improving the terms for individuals and groups to take part in society. Nice words but the truth is that many people are “invisible” to society. Considering that one of the goals of social inclusion could be giving a voice to everybody included the “invisibles”, could education give them a hand? It is undeniable that education levels and opportunities in life walk side by side. Although the world has so many examples of people that even with very low or no schooling at all, have reached the top, but those are more the exception than the rule. The rapidly increasing needs of society along with the recent socioeconomic changes have made the need for lifelong learning stronger than ever before. Besides the requirements set by the worldwide job market, it seems that the individual and social benefits reaped by lifelong learning cannot be underestimated as well. In fact, all citizens – despite their age, sex, previous educational background or learning experiences – are nowadays motivated to set goals, take initiatives, collaborate with others and have the chance to acquire new skills and capabilities that will enhance the quality of their lives largely having the chance to shape their present and future. All people are encouraged to offer their own input to the world, gain valuable knowledge and become involved in community affairs. Additionally, when it comes to the social dimension of learning, values and ethics are strongly promoted. Potential learners have several opportunities to boost their social capacities by building on human relationships, making affiliations and expanding their own network whereas they start becoming accustomed to universal values such as respect and trust. Adult Education helps the human need for learning as it creates the conditions that allow sharing, collaboration and cross-cultural understanding. Education makes “visible” those that have become “invisible”. Whether it is through learning basic, digital, social skills or any other skill, education does help people experience life differently. It enables them to be present and active in today’s society.
Adult education differs from compulsory education in school where the students are forced by law to attend. If learning a language for example as an adult is something that the person has chosen to do, it is likely that the person is more motivated than the yournger pupil who has to do it for school. But they might also be learning a language because it is needed for their work, because they live in a foreign country and has to learn for their daily life and that might not feel like your own choice and what you would like to do with your time. The motivation might be low which could make it difficult for both the learner and the teacher. Adult learners who have chosen adult education are often easier to teach as they are more attentive and too polite to be messy in class like young students can be, but they might not be as receptive as younger students who have better memories and are quicker learners.
Adult education can also be a way for people to socialise and meet people which is positive but the learning pace might be slower as they all come in with a lot of different experiences they might want to share. It can be a good material for learning but can also make it harder stay focused on certain grammar, controlled discussions etc. The needs analysis is very important for this type of group.To begin with this topic, it is important to have a basic concept of education and its similar terminologies: it is the process of receiving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university. Its synonyms are teaching, schooling, tuition, instruction, pegagogy, andragogy, coaching, training, tutelage, drilling, preparation, guidance, indoctrination, enlightenment, edification, cultivation, development and bettering. However, we are just going to speak about adult education (our today’s topic).
Then, we need to establish some differences between children education and adult education. Children education is mostly taught by systematic methods leaded by the trainer (teacher). This systematic method is mostly pedagogic: according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary: “pedagogy is the art, science, or profession of teaching”. In this case, children need to be guided by their teacher most of times in order to have a fully satisfactory learning made by subjects. Throughout this method, children do not have so much participation in class, unless the trainer authorizes them.
On contrary, adult education is mostly taugh by the andragogic method: according to the website dictionary.com, andragogy is the methods or techniques used teach adults. Andragogy is the opposite of pedagogy because you treat students as self-sufficient who are responsible for their learning that the trainer is just a guide to ease the students the learning materials and allows them to participate more in class. In andragogy, we can that there are more practical activities and not so much theory. In this type of education, young people from 18 years are also included because they’re going to college.
However, sometimes pedagogy is necessary due to the difficulties of some subjects at the university.
As a result, we can say that adult education is andragogy because adults need more practical activities in order to develop more skills for facing the real life.Adult education will always have more advantages than disadvantages. Bearing in mind that adult education is facilitated, taking into account the predisposition of the person to want to learn, they also have a clearer focus on what they are looking for in life and that is why they find more advantages in studying. Likewise, to teach an adult, we can take into account their own experiences at the moment of transferring what they have learned. The techniques to follow in an adult person facilitate the trainer since being an adult is more aware of the advantage of studying.
In order to practice what they have learned they can watch TV series, listen to music, visit places, even practice the language with a friend.La forma en como aprenden los idiomas los adultos es muy diferente a como aprenden los niños. En mi experiencia puedo decir que me he sentido más satisfecho y he sentido que he cumplido mi rol de facilitador del idioma trabajando con adultos. Y es simplemente porque el adulto recurre a nosotros porque tiene la necesidad de aprender y está motivado. Tiene la responsabilidad y la dedicación que son necesarias para aprender y eso hace que las clases sean más productivas y beneficiosas para el alumno. En mi experiencia con los niños se pierde tiempo en motivarlos, en captar su atención y algunas veces hay problemas de conducta que francamente desalientan.
Adult education is very different from children education. Children are often forced to study a foreign language, because, as they have little knowledge of how the world of adults works, they can’t understand the importance of speaking not just their mothertongue, but also other languages.
Adults, on the other side, usually have specific objectives that push them to study a new language. Among these there are: work necessities, for example if someone has to travel for work purposes or needs to be transferred to another country; study necessities, for example if a student wants to spend some time in another country (Erasmus, year abroad ecc…); or just for leisure, for example if someone wants to travel to another country and be able to communicate with local people, or to improve their personal knowledge. There are a lot of reasons that can push an adult to study a new language and, in most cases, this is what makes them highly motivated. As they have specific goals, they recognize the importance of learning a new language, so they become curious and they want to learn as much as they can, always trying to give their best.
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