Teach English in Gexianshan Zhen - Chengdu Shi

For some TEFL teachers where they get placed in school and age group is not always a choice that they can control. Those who want to teach English in South Korea, for example, can give their preferences on what age group they want to teach, but EPIK (English Program in Korea), which is the country's government-run program, would let those who apply to know that just because they have stated their preferences would not necessarily guarantee that those choices would actually be implemented. It is not uncommon for a new teacher to land in South Korea that they finally know where they were placed. That could mean that one who preferred elementary would teach middle school, high school, or even at a university. So a TEFL teacher should always be prepared for that unexpected change. That was why the topic of young learners versus adult learners was chosen. Within this essay what will be addressed is what factors make up young learners compared to adult learners and what a teacher could utilize to have a successful lesson for both groups. Let's start with young learners. This groups age range will be anywhere from elementary to preteen, essentially children. From ITTT unit 19: Teaching special groups stated that "teaching children can be one of the most rewarding of all students classes to teach." The reason behind such a grand statement was that children in general, no matter where in the world, are naturally curious and therefore can be a driving factor for a young learner in the classroom to want to do well. But because they are school-aged, they were also more than likely required to take an EFL class even when the student didn't want to. This can lead a teacher to have several students unmotivated to participate and learn. Young learners also have a well-deserved reputation of being easily distracted, no matter their level of motivation, because of their short attention spans. Adult learners can have the same level of motivation to want to learn in an EFL class, yet their reasoning for it would be different. While young learners just have an innate sense of curiosity that fuels their desire to know a different language, a typical adult learner could have the drive to learn English because they wanted to pursue a different job. Another factor could be that an adult learner would want to go to an English speaking university or travel to an English speaking country. A second notable difference between young learners and adult learners would be that as mentioned previously, young learners are usually required to take English classes. For adults, to be in an English class was by their own choice. So in terms of motivation for learning, adult learners would be overwhelmingly more motivated than that of their younger counterparts because they chose to be in the class. Adults also have longer attention spans so a teacher for this group wouldn't have to worry about constant monitoring of student involvement with a lesson. The comparison between the two groups has been established, but how does a teacher go about how both groups can learn? There are things that a teacher can do that can be similar as well as different for both groups to use. Something that a teacher could utilize for both groups would be the use of tests. ITTT unit 15: evaluation and testing stated that "it is often appropriate to give tests at different stages in a course" and this would apply to all language learning classes, regardless of age. Tests help a teacher see how well a student has progressed in their class and if they would require any relearning of a subject or grammar rule. Another similarity would be that a teacher's mood and personality can set the tone for any and every lesson with their students. If a teacher is distracted, short-tempered, or judgmental with their class, the lesson would become a failure. These traits would create a classroom environment where the students would have felt uncomfortable to ask questions nor instill confidence in choral activities. A teacher who was patient, understanding, and encouraging, however, would have created a comfortable classroom for their students and confidence in answering and asking questions. What can differ in teaching either group would be how a teacher used an activity to get their students to learn. For example, with young learners, ITTT unit 19 again stated that because they have a shorter attention span, this group would need "frequent changes of activities, which are exciting and fun to stimulate their curiosity." These activities could range from simple games and drawings to simple oral exercises. Adult learners can have fun activities as well, but theirs would not be presented in the form of simple games or drawings. Typically a teacher would give role-playing scenarios, more detailed grammar sheets, oral or written presentations, or class debate topics that were relevant to their age and interests. All of these examples of how a teacher presented their lesson for an adult learner would challenge them more so than that of young learner activities and would be age-appropriate for their interests and motivation. In conclusion, this essay has covered that both groups can be motivated to learn. Yet some differences between young and adult learners were their reasons for learning, and how required versus personal choice English classes can affect student's willingness to participate. Using tests in both groups was an essential part of making sure that students were understanding a teacher's lesson, and how a lesson is given out differs between both groups.