- This topic has 182 replies, 166 voices, and was last updated 1 day, 19 hours ago by
.
-
Posts
-
An adult that wants to learn is fully responsible for what they are going to learn they are motivated to learn for internal motivations like self-esteem, recognition, better quality of life, self-actualization.
Their own experience makes them want to improve, they have the ability to assess gaps between where they want and need to be. Learners want to perform task, solve a problem, live in a more satisfying way and learning is organized around lifework situations rather than subject matter units.Questions> What is an adult? What is education?
Adults can be as varied as people with a wealth of knowledge about surviving in the Amazon jungle, yet illiterate, to sophisticated people who have studied at the Sorbonne but don’t know their way around the city or even how to change a loo roll. I have taught English to both these categories and the most important thing in my opinion is to resect them and use their particular knowledge and experience and adapt that to the needs of the lesson. Another important aspect is the pitch, one must level one’s own language such that the lister can understand. It is always vital not to isolate, frustrate, patronize or in any way make comments which might not be understood or accepted in their culture, even though they are in class to learn a new language the adaptation to accepting a new culture too must be treated with great care. This is what makes the student assessment such an important task so that functional groups can be formed. A musician with two masters degrees might not feel comfortable in a class of farmers unless he was interested in learning about how other people think and live.Much of the time adult L’s are internally motivated to learn: better job, higher pay, the chance to learn more about one’s chosen profession or hobbies.This internal motivation then oftentimes leads to adults seeking out opportunities to learn. They are agents of their own learning: why, when, how often and for what ends/purposes.
In the case of ESL many adult L’s see English as a means to an end_ promotion, overseas assignment, international travel for holidays or as a way to demonstrate to their children that learning is a life long process. Sometimes learning English is dictated by the HR department and in this case the adult education is in general (more) externally motivated than internally motivated.
With adult L’s T’s have the opportunity to bring in more real world topics and the L’s have a much wider set of personal & professional experiences that they bring to the lesson. This enables both L’s and the T to build upon and draw from these experiences, it allows the L’s to learn from one another’s experiences, to help one another learn together and to (hopefully) create an environment where all feel welcome and what they contribute helps for better understanding amongst all participants.
Adult education has many aspects to it to consider. Many factors make a difference in adult education such as the age group, their purpose of learning, how motivated they are, their culture,…etc. The trainer has many options for planning the lesson for adults in comparison to planning for children which might be the reason why some trainers prefer to teach adults. Once the trainer is familiar with the culture of the learners and is aware of their purpose for learning, she/he can plan for lessons accordingly to meet the needs of the learner with the use of the right method and approach. For example, if the learner is interested to learn the new language due to moving to another country for work, or simply just learning for travelling and meeting people of that country, the lessons will have different structures. The good point here is adults have real life experiences that makes them relate to the subjects more and even makes it more fun to share ideas with both the trainers and other learners, especially for speaking more in discussions and practices. Adults are less dependent on the trainers as well and the trainer can simply lead the class by feeding new information and monitoring the learners in their practices. Since there is no force for adults to learn the new language and is mostly their choice to attend classes or learn by other ways, their motivation for learning is higher and thus there is an extra drive inside them which helps with the learning process as well. Depending on how busy their life schedule is, their goal for learning, and how much time they can dedicate for extra activities aside from the class, there are plenty of choices adults have for practicing and learning better. For example, they can watch movies with subtitles, listen to the music and memorize the lyrics, and even start reading books in that specific language. Social media is another tool which is very useful for practicing the target language more and perhaps follow the news of the countries in the target language.
It is clear from research that there are distinct differences in the learning needs and processes between children and adults.
Concentrating on adult education, they possess two fundamental elements that are key in their learning process: Motivation and experience. Although adults are individuals and as such will respond to different teaching techniques, their motivation is extremely realistic and their experience is practically useful.
When one considers that in a group of adult learners, one is faced by a collection of people who are highly motivated to be in attendance and therefore possess a common hunger to learn. Although they may have different reasons or needs for the knowledge, their willingness is what they all have in common.
Launching from that base, it is now up to the trainer to systematically lead the learners through the Inlingua method and process, which we know and trust to be successfully proven.
However, it is now vital for the trainer to maintain the learner´s motivation, interest and progress, nurturing a successful learning process. This will require the identifying of the differing learning needs and pace of the learners as individuals and applying specific techniques as provided within the Inlingua trainer skill set.Adult education
The practice of learning differs in the pedagogy and the andragogy method. There are factors used to show the differences between teaching children and adults such as their motivation to learn, the learner’s experience, its readiness and orientation to learning.
For example, the resource of experience is very different between a child and an adult. Indeed, the adults ‘learners use their own experience and resources in the practice of the language whereas the children depend more on the teacher because they can’t use their own experience as a learning resource.
Another example would be the willingness of being in class. Indeed, the motivation of learning is different between children and adults. With a class of children there is a need for discipline as they can be distracted and want to play. Also, their practice of learning can be motivated by external pressure such as grades while the adults have intrinsic motivation to learn a new language. The young adults and adults have chosen to learn and then are self-directed. It’s important to remember that the motivation of adult learner is based on what they need in their life, and most of the time they know what they want to improve. Thus, the teacher can place the process of learning into a context of real use. it gives motivation to adults who want to use this new knowledge in their life or profession and boost their performance. All the participants of the class share the same desire to learn a new language which allow a learner-friendly atmosphere.
Adults are unique in their language learning journey. Depending on their age, they may have the disadvantage, according to some research, of a brain that cannot withhold new language as quickly and easily as a young brain might. This is no reason to throw in the towel! Adults typically learn language with great motivation and autonomy. They have specific reasons for learning a new language which influence what they want to learn. For example, I had a student who wanted to become a citizen of the United States. She needed to learn the adequate language to pass the required tests.
In the same light, adults are goal oriented and tend to have a clear understanding of their end goal in language learning. Unlike children who depend fully on their instructor, adults bring life experiences and even previous learning skills into their learning process which aid in their own learning. It is the trainers job to heavily include the learners in their language learning process. This may look like including other learners in the class. For example, if someone cannot think of a word, the trainer might call upon another learner to aid. This form of collaboration of the compiled learning of the entire group demonstrates how the trainer includes the adult learning in the class.
Adults also have the benefit of self knowledge. They already understand their strengths and weaknesses and can freely share these so that the trainer doesn’t need to waste time trying to figure them out. Adults have the freedom of asking for particular topics to be covered or even different methods to be used that are helpful for them personally. The trainer more-so comes alongside in the language learning journey and teaches in accordance with the strengths and weaknesses of the students. Adults are also very practical. There is no use learning about complex medical terms if one is never to use them. While younger learners are taken through a systematic curriculum with a comprehensive focus, adults are able to focus on learning the parts of language they will use in their daily lives. If someone is trying to find a job in a different country, they need help boosting their confidence for the interview and learn job-related vocabulary that will prepare them well. Or, take the refugee as another example; they need to learn language that will aid them in grocery shopping, setting up a bank account, getting their children in a good school, finding a safe place to live, or finding a job quickly.
Some adults have a greater urgency and intrinsic need in learning a second language. These learners will show great responsibility and self-motivation in contrast to younger students who are taking a language course to fulfill a requirement. This level of commitment ensures that language classes are worth everyone’s time. The trainer can have confidence that the lessons they plan will be appreciated and that the learners will take them seriously.
When teaching adults we need to remember that they come with experience: work experience and life experience. These experiences may help adults understand the language content being taught quicker at times as they already have a foundation laid with regards to certain topics. When one has a particular understanding or interest in something which is being taught then they become motivated to learn and contribute to the lesson. Adult learners have a personal interest in attending class and achieving their goals as they registered themselves for the given course. Achieving goals is rewarding, therefore boosts one‘s confidence and perhaps has a domino effect by also furthering their careers.
Motivation can come in different forms: they might be learning a different language for personal growth, emigration purposes, to communicate with a loved one or to grow within their company.
Adult learners can learn the language (and to increase their vocabulary) by doing word puzzles, word searches, reading children‘s books – as the language used may be easier to understand and as time goes to then read more challenging books. Other ways to learn could be to listen to podcasts (I personally use this method), watch movies in the target language (preferably one they have already watched in their native tongue), the individual could also use a language app or listen to the radio.Adults learners know why they are learning this language. They have aims and reasons for learning a language. Therefore, they are self motivated. But their needs may differ and so the learner need should be considered while the materials are being prepared.
They have lots of experiences that they can use when they are talking. They tend to talk and learn how to say different sentences in a new language. But they tend to translate the each word or sentence in their mind and they need to get the exact translation of the word in their mother tongue. It causes problems. It is an obstacle on the way of thinking like a native speaker, therefore speaking like a native speaker.
With children the trainer should prepare the lesson interestingly or put extra effort to drag and keep their attention in the learning process. But adults’ attention span is wider so their way of learning is more intense.Teaching adult learners is very different from teaching children. For starters, adult education provides a curriculum suited for a specific goal on the learner’s end. Adults are usually motivated to learn a language because they want to move to another country, ace an interview for a job, or simply as a hobby. Regardless of the motivation, adults are in charge of their own learning. Unlike children, adults have the independent freedom to set their own learning schedules and decide which areas of the language they would like to focus on. Perhaps they would enjoy learning the target language for everyday use, or maybe they would like to enhance their language skills for better use in a workplace environment.
The first area in which adult learners truly shine is with life experience. Everyone goes through obstacles in life, and adults can bring their past experiences and knowledge into the classroom. This makes for a rather diverse learning environment where many discussions can take place. More life experience makes for some interesting discussion topics which are both engaging and relatable. These prove to be excellent resources for keeping learners focused on the target language as well as increasing fluency.
Due to the fact that adult learners are choosing to attend their language courses, they are almost always highly motivated students. They have a goal in mind, and that kind of ambition is typical for adult learners. They come to class ready to learn the new language, something which can’t always be guaranteed with children. Children often end up learning a new language because their parents told them to, or perhaps it is a requirement in their schooling. However, adult learners are internally motivated in comparison.
Internal motivation calls for personalized content when it comes to learning orientation. Adult learners must have lessons which are catered to their needs. It is crucial for adult learners to be capable of connecting the learning content to real life scenarios or ideas. The language that they learn has to be useful in an organic way because adults will use these skills for different areas in their lives. The curriculum for these classes has to be engaging to them somehow, and it must help them reach their individual learning goals.
Most adult learners also take it upon themselves to practice the target language outside of the classroom. There are plenty of free language learning opportunities on the internet, along with countless books written in the target language. Because adult learners are often highly motivated to learn, they are usually willing to go the extra mile. While this is a passive learning technique, results are often seen in the classroom.
Adult learners may not be able to learn a new language as easily as children can, but they are certainly more motivated. Internal motivation is what fuels their readiness to learn.I have a few years of experience teaching children online, and it is categorically different to teaching adults. Children are generally there because they “have” to be there, whereas adults are generally there because they want to be there, be it for business or personal reasons. Most adults generally have a basic foundation of English that it is our task as trainers to broaden and expand upon. Often adults have developed bad grammatical or syntax errors in their use of English through either directly translating into English from their mother tongue, or through learning from other non-native speakers. It is our mission to “handle their language errors with care” and to respectfully correct the statement. I really enjoy the experiences that adults bring to the class – they are generally keen to share experiences and to learn from others in the class. They are generally well-motivated to learn, which makes teaching them a pleasure.
Young learners and adults have different motivation in learning for many reasons and aspects.
Young learners don’t have barriers that adults have , like age, being more conscious that the learning process is not like before etc. Adults are more conscious that they have more obstacles to overcome while learning a language. Most of them ,for instance, need to learn or refresh a new language after many years or for work and for this reason they tend to feel more under pressure.
The needs and goals to reach are different for both age groups.
On the other hand, adults don’t need to be guided orthey don’t need to rely on their trainer and they can proceed at a good pace whils young learners need to be guided and are initially dependent on their trainer.Education specifically targeting individuals who are regarded as adults by the society to which they belong to improve their technical or professional qualifications, further develop their abilities, enrich their knowledge with the purpose to complete a level of formal education, or to acquire knowledge, skills and competencies in a new field or to refresh or update their knowledge in a particular field. Adult education also means lifelong education. Adults’ learning style is different from children’s. Children learn because they are told to learn things that will have some relevance in the distant future and will do so without questioning why. Whereas adults need to be explicitly told what they are doing and why so they can connect the desired learning outcomes to their own goals and progress. On the other hand, children’s education is compulsory, formal, and standardized. Adult education is self-directed and purposeful.
Teaching adults is much more different than teaching children. It’s an obvious fact that pedagogy and andragogy differ from each other in many aspects such as motivation, orientation, readiness and the learners’ experience in learning. As the adults are aware of what they want or why they want to learn, they are self-oriented and self motivated. Their motivations are internal – they might have a specific reason for learning a new language – for getting promotion, communicating with foreigners, traveling or emigrating abroad. So, all of them know what is the reason for this and try to stick to their goal and do not need anyone to give extra motivation, in other words, the adults do not depend on their trainers.But for young learners we can not say the same things. They are supposed to learn a language for a grade, competition with others, and some requirements (their parents’ pressure and so on)- All of these reasons are the examples of external motivation. They do not learn a language for themselves or their needs. They are dependent of their language trainers/teachers.
The adults bring their life and work experience to the lesson process and try to use it in order to gain something new. The weak and strong sides are already known and it has a great impact on their language learning process – I mean they tend to make stronger their strengths and work on their weaknesses.The reasons behind why adults tend to learn a new language are related to their internal motivation – they are aware of what they need and are goal-oriented and self disciplined.So, they don’t need a trainer to give them motivation and life hacks or reasons why they learn this- They already know these and do not need them anymore. But young learners depend on their language learning trainer and follow all the steps in order to get a high grade, to compete with others well, and are afraid of being a failure.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
