TEFL Napoli New York

Teaching young learners vs. Adults. Learning modes: young learners vs. Adults (16) Learning english as a foreign language is a complex learning process. Adults and young learners have many similarities, but are different in many areas as well. When looking at learners of english, teachers must consider the age of the learners when planning for and teaching a class. young learners are usually still developing cognitively, linguistically, socially and are still building their literacy skills (Cameron 2001). Most young learners are told to study english by their elders and therefore lack motivation. Adults have usually made the decision to attend the english class themselves which generally results in a higher degree of motivation (Clark 1990). There are at least three categories of young learners. The first and possibly the most difficult is the post puberty or early teen category. These students are often unmotivated, self-conscious and unwilling to experiment with language. The second category is the pre-puberty learner. These students are usually more receptive to new sounds, words and grammar of a foreign language. The third category consists of the very young learners. These students usually have not even completely been able to master their first language (Smith 1995). Many young learners have less learning experience which means they have fresher minds and are more likely to have an open-mind when learning new material. They tend to absorb information more quickly, but will need extra attention on basic literacy skills and grammar. teachers need to be very patient with young learners since their attention span is often limited and their minds are often wandering with curiosity. As a result, teachers could be faced with discipline and behavior issues. When planning, teachers need to keep activities varied, fun and exciting in order to stimulate their curiosity and keep them interactive. Using materials such as posters, objects, and other visual aids will definitely help the students to understand the material. It is important for teachers to realize that they are being viewed as a role model by these students. Building rapport with the students and using positive encouragement will allow the teacher to build on the skills of the students and plan lessons that will help to increase their self-confidence. young learners love receiving praise and recognition for their good work (Moon 2000). Adults have a long history of learning and are usually more serious when learning since they are personally invested in their own education. Contrary to young learners, adults can create their own sentence structure based on what makes since to them since they are already accustomed with grammar in their native language. Pronunciation is often a difficult topic to teach since they already have previous notions when regarding sounds. Adults tend to be more patient, sophisticated, and have a higher attention span than young learners. As a result, they present fewer problems regarding behavior and discipline. Adults also tend to have higher expectations for the class which can put more pressure on the teacher as the students need to see the personal value in taking the class. It is important for teachers to understand the needs of each student in order to integrate them into the lesson plans (Devies 2000). As with young learners, it is important to give adult learners recognition for their ideas and praise them for their accomplishments. Positive encouragement will help to keep them confident, interested in the class and motivated (Moon 2000). In conclusion, young and adult learners vary in many ways however each group of students has many similarities as well. teachers need to understand and respect that all students have different learning styles and the teacher must learn to remain flexible in order to accommodate their needs. Cameron, L (2001) Teaching Languages to young learners Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Clark, J (1990) Teaching children: is it different? JET October 1990. Moon, J. (2000). children Learning english. Oxford: Macmillan-Heinemann. Smith, K (1995) Assessing young learners. Can we? Should we? Testing and young learners Special Interest Group (IATEFL). Paul Devies, Eric Pease. 2000. Success in english Teaching (M). london: Oxford University Press.