Types Of Adult Learners

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In the past, the emphasis on teaching a foreign language was, amongst other older techniques, Grammar-Translation, and is still used in some situation today. This method helped the student to learn ‘about’ the language instead of learning the language (ITTT Unit 3,3). Over time, and continuing today, more and more attention and research have been placed on the question of what makes a good language learner. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Cliff G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. There are considerable differences in age, gender, motivation, attitude, and culture. Different students assimilate differently. The environment...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching can be extremely satisfying and rewarding, but how we teach and the methodologies that we use should be adapted to teaching each specific learner or groups of learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Omar B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Let's begin with defining what is considered to be an adult and what is considered to be a young learner. According to regulatory standards, an adult is an individual over the age of 18. Young learners, on the other hand, can be categorized based on three bases; from the age of seven and under (very young learners), between the ages 8 to 12 and post-puberty, usually from ages 13...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences If you're a native language speaker, you've likely heard the phrase, “You can't teach an old dog new tricks”. There has been little evidence found to support this claim, but the belief persists. Many adult learners believe that it is too late for them to learn a new language. If you are teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language you may find yourself teaching a class of adult learners. Adult learners differ in many ways from young learners, and one such issue you may encounter is a doubt from the learners that they are capable of picking up a new language now that they are no longer children. Though the style of learning and the issues encountered will inevitably differ from those of young learners,...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences This post will focus on the differences English teacher face when they are working with a class of young learners compared to a class of adult learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rebecca M. First, it is necessary to define what we mean by adult learners and young learners in the TEFL environment. An adult learner is defined as any student over the age of eighteen who engages in English language tuition. A younger learner, therefore, is a student under the age of eighteen years old. There is a much greater variety within the young learner category due to the vast developmental changes that occur during this period. For example, a five- year- old is a very different type of learner...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences For people who are learning a foreign language, their lives might change a lot. They have the chance to talk to more people, get more information, and their brains get trained. As we all know, it’s much easier for a child to learn a new language than an adult. Why? What are the essential differences between adults and young learners? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate LU C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Usually, there is a goal that motivates an adult to learn something new, whereas children are acquiring knowledge from what they are experiencing. In other words, children are learning what is provided. Unconscious...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences How does teaching adults differ from teaching young learners? To most people, it should be rather obvious that teaching children is very different from teaching adults, due to adults being more mature and having more life experience than children. This article discusses the advantages of teaching adult students and what the implications on a teacher’s methodology are. Adult learners refers to anyone who is above the age of eighteen. Although it is not a perfect definition, we will nevertheless use eighteen as our cut-off age since it is the most common age threshold in many language schools when it comes to deciding whether a student should go to a children’s class (6-17 in many occasions) or an adult’s...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas A good TEFL teacher must understand that there are a lot of differences between young learners and adult learners, but also they have some similarities. The following differences and similarities between these two types of students are the most common ones any teacher will notice having worked in both situations. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Daria K. One of the main differences between young learners and adult learners is their discipline and behavior during class. Adult learners are generally more disciplined, independent and organised than young learners. They do not need as much attention from the teacher which is why the teacher needs to adopt...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Not all Teaching English as a Foreign Language is equal. Different types of groups of learners include beginner vs. intermediate/advanced learners as well as monolingual classes vs multilingual classes. Another set of distinctive groups and perhaps the most contrary groups to be aware of are groups of young vs adult learners. In the following comparison, the many ways to ensure success with both types of groups will be discussed, as well as reasons the groups can be both challenging and rewarding. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Paige B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. There are many ways to ensure the success of a group in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas For this task, I have selected learning modes: Young learners v.s. Adults. When teachers are instructing students, they should first think about how to instruct them using the best methodologies to make learning best or what factors or aspects of learning they should consider for their classes, such as student motivation, previous learning experience, language awareness, behavior problems that could arise in class and the students’ life experiences. All of the above factors can be divided by many different students, but it has been shown in this course that these facets are predominantly divided by young learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Heejeong K. Please note that this blog...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas What makes the language learning experience so different for young learners compared to adult learners? How do adults and children acquire a second language differently? What benefits do young learners possess over adults when it comes to acquiring a second language and vice versa? The following essay attempts to provide an answer to these questions but more importantly, discuss the general differences between 1st language and 2nd language acquisition in young and adult learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Trent L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Essentially, the first language we are fully exposed to as babies is our...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas What makes the language learning experience so different for young learners compared to adult learners? How do adults and children acquire a second language differently? What benefits do young learners possess over adults when it comes to acquiring a second language and vice versa? The following essay attempts to provide an answer to these questions but more importantly, discuss the general differences between 1st language and 2nd language acquisition in young and adult learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Trent L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. To start off, let’s take a look at what language acquisition even is....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This TEFL course covered a huge variety of topics, and it was all useful information for English teachers broadly. It had a nice balance of actual how-to-tasks (i.e. how to make a lesson), as well as guidance and advice dependent on the situation (i.e. how to deal with a misbehaving student or how to establish rapport with a class). While there was new information throughout each chapter for me, the most useful, applicable information for me as a teacher was the differences between young learners and adults. This is mostly because I have taught ages preschool-late 60s (not necessarily English, I taught preschool in the USA and have taught private piano/harp lessons). I learned how to navigate the challenges when...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas For the summative task for this course, I decided to research the use of songs in the classroom. The use of songs interests me because it seems that this is a good medium to provide some variety in the classroom and develop interest. Songs and music can also be used with all age groups, although of course whereas singalongs may be more appropriate with very young learners, other activities such as lyric breakdown are still very useful for older learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate David B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For example, Lynch (2019) states that “Many teachers think that using songs in the classroom is...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Especially for an inexperienced teacher, connecting with students may be a source of concern or anxiety. After all, establishing rapport in any setting, personal or professional, is foundational to building productive relationships. Conversely, a lack of rapport can lead to miscommunications, distrust, and a lack of motivation, outcomes which are detrimental and difficult to overcome for teachers and students alike. The question of how to build necessary rapport is further complicated by the varied types of learners with whom teachers interact, particularly for teachers who may be responsible for instructing children, young adults, and business professionals alike. Fortunately, the answer can be sought out,...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching English to young learners is quite different from teaching English to adults in many ways. One of the differences is that young learners do not learn the language in a conscious process, mostly they acquire the language. For young learners, it can be said that it is easier for them to acquire and learn English as long as they are exposed to the language. Since learning languages differs from age to age, teaching styles and strategies also change accordingly. As English teachers, we have different approaches, methods, techniques, and tools which gravitate towards different needs and levels of young learners. So, as English teachers, we should address those needs. This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences There are many learning techniques and the course covered four major groups – constructivists, maturationists, environmentalists, and others. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kathi Z. The fundamentals of the maturation theory is the natural biological process humans go through. There is a natural sequence of events that take place despite external stimuli. The fundamentals of the environmental theory is the environment in which we exist. How we behave is a response to what is happening around us. This idea is different from how maturationists believe that we will develop in a systematic way. Our behavior is a reaction to our surroundings. The constructivists believe that learning is a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Playing games is not only for fun, but we can use it to make students more understand about the topic of the lesson. Games also can build rapport between student-student and teacher-class. How a game is important to make students understand the topic of the lesson? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Umi H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For some students, playing a game is a fun thing. It also can kill boredom and increase the attention of students. Games also can make students more understand the lesson in class. For children who always want to play even in class, they have a short span of attention, playing games are...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Every student requires something different to learn English successfully. Aside from one-on-one lessons, teachers usually will not have the time to dedicate extensive attention to each student, though. Not every English-learner will be given a unique lesson catered to their needs. However, teachers can develop plans that fit best for general types of students based on their profiles. Factors such as students' age, language level, and motivation for learning helps teachers identify a student profile and thus develop the best lessons to get them engaged. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jake E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT....  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences Whether speaking at a public event where thousands have gathered, or talking politics around a table with friends, this simple piece of advice is well-known to anyone who has ever done any public speaking. But, it is also critical advice for the aspiring teacher—whether those teaching English as a second language, or those teaching chemistry in high school. The more well-acquainted a teacher is with his or her classroom, the more successful he or she will be in engaging their minds in the topic at hand. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Emily B. So, of course, this is a vital component to any teacher who is seeking to help students wanting to learn English. It is important that the teacher asks...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Intelligence has been defined in many ways, including the capacity for logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can be described as the ability to perceive or infer information and to retain it as knowledge to be applied towards adaptive behaviors within an environment or context (Wikipedia, 2019). This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Stephen A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. At a cosmetic level, language fluency and accuracy, that segregate socio-cultural groups is inconsistent with contemporary thought of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching is an exceptional art which allows all human beings to take advantage of the conveyed knowledge. Particularly, the teaching and learning process of English could be successfully accomplished in the case of young learners as well as adults. Both the teacher’s role and several techniques denote essential features to achieve rewarding English learning results. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Carla A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Therefore, communicative activities related to games during the active stage help keep up students’ enthusiasm. Besides, a great deal of diverse warm-ups contributes with engaging...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The general importance of volunteering is known by most people. Volunteering helps people, causes, and organizations that typically cannot afford resources, and so greatly benefit from volunteers and donations. Volunteer teaching, particularly teaching ESL learners, is no different. Private tutors are expensive and not all can afford to send their children or themselves to one, and so I want to emphasize the importance of volunteering at centers or schools that teach ESL learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kayla C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I have personally volunteered to teach ESL learners, and I know the value...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Alumni Experiences As an aspiring TEFL teacher, I have to be ready to teach students of all ages. While the language and lesson-planning follow frameworks that stay consistent for all students, the topics I utilize depend on who I am teaching; for example, the ESA lesson plan works for all classrooms, but different students require different engage-phase activities - a game of battleships is better suited for young learners than adults. In this report, I explore the similarities and differences between teaching young and adult learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kevin Y. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In general, adults seeking to learn...  [Read more]

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Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas There are many types of English learning groups and each group requires different teaching techniques. In my opinion, English learners can be divided into 2 groups: beginners and English learners for specific purposes. Beginners can be students who have no English at all or know a few simple structures. They can be children or adults. English learners for specific purposes are students who have a basic English level and want to achieve their specific aims of learning. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nhung T. Children are quick to learn but prone to forget. Therefore, they need frequent repetition and revision. Here are some tips for successful lessons with...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas There are many different types of peculiarities when concerning the English language, and this essay is aimed at the difficulties in teaching those peculiarities to learners that are not fluent in the English language. It can be difficult for native English speakers to progressively learn the subtle nuances as children graduating to young adults and navigating complexities of the language as adults; deciphering whether or not these peculiarities warrant further investigation or retention based on usage and context. These oddities of the English language can be exponentially more difficult for those attempting to learn the English language as a second language, having fully grasped the complexities of their own...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Most TEFL certified teachers abroad will come across adult students sooner or later in their career. While you might have already prepared a folder full of fun TEFL games that work like a charm for young learners, not all of them will be useful for adult students. That does not mean, however, that adults don’t enjoy games in the classroom! Here are our 5 favorite TEFL games for adult students. This activity is a great way to get adult classes going and it’s so easy to play! Have your students think of three statements, two have to be true and one of them has to be a lie. Next, the students share their three statements with the class and the other students, or the teacher, have to guess which statement is the lie....  [Read more]

  The final stage of the lesson will be the activate and the activate phase is going to form the main speaking activity within the lesson. So, it's very very important that here, we do a good demonstration of what it is that we're expecting them to do, that we elicit the type of target language we're expecting them to produce from the activity. So, one way we could go around it is to, firstly, form pairs. Each pair is going to be given a card and onto that card they're going to write the country and a month. What the teacher can then do, just to add a little bit of spice to it, is to collect all of the cards and shuffle them around and then redistribute them to the pairs so that they get a card that doesn't have their country or their month on it. What they're then going to do is...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas English is one of the most common languages in the world. Knowing English can help people communicate with others from different countries and seek opportunities to have a better job or life. English can bring benefits to everyone, no matter how old they are. Therefore, English is becoming essential in many areas and more people, from kids to adults, are learning it as a second language. To help people learn English effectively, teachers play a significant role in their learning progress. There are many types of students and depending on their needs, ages, and personalities, teachers must learn how to adjust their teaching styles accordingly. This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ [ {"@context": "https://schema.org","@type": "SiteNavigationElement","@id": "#nameh0","name": "Types of TEFL course","url": "https://www.tefl-certificate.net/faq/what-is-a-tefl-course/#nameh0"},{"@context": "https://schema.org","@type": "SiteNavigationElement","@id": "#nameh1","name": "Course content","url": "https://www.tefl-certificate.net/faq/what-is-a-tefl-course/#nameh1"},{"@context": "https://schema.org","@type": "SiteNavigationElement","@id": "#nameh3","name": "Which course is best for you?","url": "https://www.tefl-certificate.net/faq/what-is-a-tefl-course/#nameh3"} ] ] } More and more employers now expect their English teachers to have a minimum of a 120-hour TEFL certificate....  [Read more]