Teaching adults can be rewarding to the teacher. At the very core,
you are dealing with individuals who have lives outside the classroom.
While this can pose a challenge when it comes to attendance, adult
learners also come equipped with learning tools and experience that
present advantages to teachers. As an ESL teacher, you can use these
benefits to help you make the learning experience a better one.
Autonomous learners
Adult learners have, to varying extents, a set of learning skills acquired from earlier schooling experience. At the very least, they have the skills to enable them take notes, ask relevant questions and initiate dialogue. They know the benefits of regular class attendance and the importance of being committed and organized.
While many adult learners might not have loads of free time on their hands, they will benefit from having mentally-challenging assignments.
Intrinsic motivation
Many adults who enroll for courses make a conscious decision to do so. They might have varying needs, but they are motivated to become better at what the course offers. Whether it’s an English course or a postgraduate degree, adult learners have the internal motivation to go through with the course.
As a teacher, the best way to keep this motivation alive is by considering their goals when setting class tasks and activities. This way, you can come up with tasks that best fit the end goal, like planning job interview role-playing activities for English learners who want to speak the language in their business endeavors.
Ramona Maharaj City of Hamilton understands what it takes to keep adult learners motivated. She has years of experience as an ESL teacher and currently works in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Autonomous learners
Adult learners have, to varying extents, a set of learning skills acquired from earlier schooling experience. At the very least, they have the skills to enable them take notes, ask relevant questions and initiate dialogue. They know the benefits of regular class attendance and the importance of being committed and organized.
While many adult learners might not have loads of free time on their hands, they will benefit from having mentally-challenging assignments.
Intrinsic motivation
Many adults who enroll for courses make a conscious decision to do so. They might have varying needs, but they are motivated to become better at what the course offers. Whether it’s an English course or a postgraduate degree, adult learners have the internal motivation to go through with the course.
As a teacher, the best way to keep this motivation alive is by considering their goals when setting class tasks and activities. This way, you can come up with tasks that best fit the end goal, like planning job interview role-playing activities for English learners who want to speak the language in their business endeavors.
Ramona Maharaj City of Hamilton understands what it takes to keep adult learners motivated. She has years of experience as an ESL teacher and currently works in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
