TEFL Whittier California

young learners and adults are very different in the manner in which they learn. The teaching approach must adapt to suit both learners appropriately. This ranges from both the teaching approach to the content in the lesson plan. young learners Most tefl teachers would choose to teach young learners over adults for many reasons. young learners are often considered easier to teach as they are more receptive and pick up ideas and language quickly. young learners' capability to pick up a new language is likened to a sponge; soaking up new information quickly. This can be attributed to the fact that they have more recently learnt their native language and it is easier for them to recall those skills to learn a new language. The Helen Doran Early english method is based on the way a child naturally learns her mother tongue – by repeated hearing and positive reinforcement. children are often learning english as a part of their curriculum or because their parents have sent them for lesson. This can impact on their motivation levels and can cause the teacher some difficulties. Ensuring plenty of engaging activities that are fun and interesting will limit the loss of student enthusiasm for learning. young learners also generally have less barriers to learning making them less likely to be resistant to playing games or your teaching styles. children generally respect the teacher as an authority figure and will comply with tasks without the need for questioning etc. There are no pre-conceptions and children are less likely to feel self-conscious about playing silly games. children learn better through interaction and play rather than sitting and learning grammar from a text book. As children may not have a full grasp of the grammar of their native language it is difficult to teach in this manner. Overall lessons should be engaging and fun. children need to be stimulated and the lesson must move at a pace as not to let children get bored. Plenty of high energy games with rewards for progress/participation. Adult Learners Adult learners generally attend english classes for a purpose. Often it is to better their skills or sometimes their employer will request that they take lessons. There is a more defined outcome and expectation when teaching adults (i.e. to move country or to get into university etc). It is possible to conduct a needs analysis to ensure the english lessons cater for the adult's personal goals. Adults may come with more of a reluctance to participate in activities. Culture can play a role in adult's willingness to participate in games and activities and this must be taken into account when lesson planning. Adults may not have been in a classroom environment for many year and the ‘learning process' may be just as much a barrier to overcome as the language itself. Adults may be more motivated as often it is their choice to attend lessons. Teaching adults can include more reference to grammar and grammatical structure as there is a higher possibility that adults are more familiar with these concepts in their native language. Adults enjoy learning through interaction too – games aren't just for children! However, the games for adults must be appropriate. You wouldn't necessarily sing a song about farm animals to a group of adults in the same way as you would to a group of 5 year olds! Adults may enjoy games more geared to their experiences and age. Both adults and younger learners have advantages and disadvantages associated with teaching. Thought should be given to which skills as a tefl teacher you could bring to the classroom. References Busyteacher.org teflcorp.com teflengland.co.uk Mes-english.com