Teach English in Xiying Zhen - Jinan Shi

Being a teacher is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. Being an English teacher means that you can motivate, influence or even change the hearts and the lives of the students all over the world. Teachers are ‘models’ in the eyes of the student. Thus, it is extremely important how the teacher looks, teaches and acts in the classroom. Both teaching young and adults have certain advantages and disadvantages. When teaching young learners, teachers should bear in mind how sensitive and pure they are. They need a wide variety of activities and interesting and different methods in the lessons all the time. They have short span of attention and easily get bored . This can lead to lack of discipline and as a result of that a poor knowledge in English language. If students don’t enjoy the lessons it might even have an opposite effect on the language process. Experienced teachers can recognize the facial expressions of the student and thus change the activity immediately. One of the best techniques to attract children’s attention is games. The younger the students, the more important games are. Games should be short but fun. They keep the children engaged and give them opportunities to practice the language they have already obtained. Not to mention the positive and competitive atmosphere that any game can involve. Children learn how to win or lose a game which will later help a lot in their everyday lives. Furthermore, playing games give them chance to use the language spontaneously without being afraid of making mistakes. This can be a problem for the weaker students and make them feel embarrassed, afraid or ashamed. So, in order to avoid this problem , teachers should mix the weak students to the stronger ones. Another good thing about young children is their nature. They are active, curious and eager to learn new things. But, since their age is critical, teachers must remember that instructions given to the students should be clear, short and easy to understand. In terms of motivation, young learners are far less motivated than adults. Sometimes it is the parents that persuade the children to attend the English lessons, or they just sign up to get a better mark at school. Adults, on the other hand, are more motivated to learn. Quite frequently they pay by themselves so they want to get what they have paid for. They have a clear purpose in mind, they perfectly know their needs and goals. Often they study English just because they want to, in order to communicate with people from all over the world, to be able to travel and meet new people. Sometimes their job requires better knowledge of English . In certain cases, even the course takes place in the clients’ company. Adults have much bigger life experience when it comes to speaking activities in the classroom. This can make the lessons more interesting, effective and versatile as opposed to the same activity with young learners. Contents of the lessons need to be relevant to their lives, interests and needs. Teachers should be very well prepared before entering the classroom with adults. Adults can ask a specific grammar or a vocabulary question, so any uncertainty from the teacher can easily be noticed. Adults have spent years and years behind the desks and can easily recognize a well prepared and organized teacher. Unlike young students, adults may hesitate to ask a question during the lesson. One of the main reasons would be the uncomfortable situation in which they will be found when they will reveal that they don’t know something. Sometimes they even pretend to have understood the lesson to avoid being embarrassed in front of the others. Generally speaking, adults feel more nervous in the classroom so that is why they need much more praising and positive feedback from the teachers. However, adult learners are often too tired and exhausted when they come to learn English language. Classes are usually in the evening or just after their work , which can be a bit overtiring for them. This can lead to lack of concentration and decreased attention. In terms of activities, games can also be cheerful and suitable for adults. They can make a positive atmosphere and can create a friendly environment. This can lead to an atmosphere where there will be less fear of participating in the lesson activities. Another appropriate activity for adults would be pair work. Through this, they can first participate and practice in front of a peer or another adult learner – which is less stressful for them. This kind of activity will help them gain confidence before the actual presentation in front of all the others. Furthermore, attendance can often be another problem when it comes to being regular to the classes. Adults often work in shifts and sometimes they have classes and jobs at the same time. Often, as I mentioned before, the courses take place at the clients’ company so any of the learners can literally be pulled out of the lesson at any time. To conclude, teaching adults and young students both have their advantages and disadvantages. Whether teachers teach young or adults they have to focus on each of the students equally no matter the circumstances and give their best to create an environment where all the students will feel comfortable practicing language skills.