[...]... present the advantages that come with teaching adult learners and the way you, as an ESL teacher can maximize their great potential for learning And on the other hand, we examine the challenges we face and suggest some ways to overcome them ADVANTAGES Of The Teaching Adults A UTONOMOUS LEARNERS When we teach English to adults, we’re dealing with individuals who, to a greater or lesser degree, have a set... children absorb the language more Generally, children will pick up language naturally much faster than adults This isn’t to say, however, that adults aren’t capable of learning either Many have already been in school and had a go at learning a second language before, so they may be using their own internal methods in order to commit the variety of grammatical rules to memory HOW TO Teach Adults: Important... English to the next level Even those who are “forced” to study due to circumstances like relocation to an English-speaking country have a specific reason to learn, and a goal that will motivate them to learn How can we take advantage of their motivation to learn? Although your students may have the initial motivation to enroll in classes, it may vanish into thin air if they suddenly face activities and tasks... may not yet have an understanding By finding an assistant in the class, this makes things easier and creates a great atmosphere in the class where the students can help each other in the learning process 3 USE REALIA, FLASHCARDS AND OTHER VISUALS Realia is ESL jargon for anything that is ‘real’ Realia is great method when it comes to teaching vocabulary, as students are able to simply put the vocabulary... fairly analytical formal grammar and 30 need to be given a lot of controlled practice, before moving into more fluency-based communication activities It may take seniors some time to adapt to spontaneous oral practice, and they may request a lot more explicit explanation and detailed grammar presentations You will have to bend a bit more than usual to accommodate what works for them Let them take a. .. will include learners of every persuasion As teachers, we must try to reach each of the seven learning styles in our instruction: visual, verbal, physical, aural, logical, social and solitary Though it is challenging to teach to all of these styles, it can be done HOW TO Teach to All Learning Styles 1 VISUAL Visual learners learn best through what they SEE and are probably the easiest to connect with... Five-Minute Activities That Will Save Your Lesson One Day (And Maybe Your Reputation, Too) TEACHERS ALWAYS NEED TO HAVE AN ACTIVITY OR TWO ON HAND IN CASE A LESSON TAKES A LITTLE BIT LESS TIME THAN EXPECTED OR DOES NOT WORK OUT EXACTLY AS PLANNED Some activities that work well in one class totally flop in another so you will have to be flexible with your lesson plan and able to adapt when necessary HOW TO PROCEED... the entire passage is complete and then sit down The first team to read all the sentences and sit down wins You can play again using the same passage starting with the student in the back or make each row a team instead To help students make their reading sound more natural, introduce slash reading To do slash reading, simply read the passage aloud to the class pausing when it is natural to do so while... goals Make sure they’re clear on what the course program is for the year and what they are expected to learn Also, explain to them that their brains are not as flexible as children’s brains, which makes it practically impossible for them to lose their accent This does not mean that they can’t improve their pronunciation, but that they’ll always have an accent that is part of who they are Secondly, to. .. Reaching Older Learners IF YOU GET THE CHANCE TO TEACH OLDER LANGUAGE LEARNERS, YOU ARE IN FOR A REAL TREAT Whether you have a whole class of seniors or a few elder students sprinkled into your classes, you will want to take careful consideration of your older learners They are a joy to teach and a welcomed addition into any classroom Follow these tips and you will have a great time learning from, as . Forget 12 ATTENDANCE: Teaching Adult Learners: How To Handle Attendance Problems 13-14 HOW- TO: Teaching Adults How- To: Advantages and Challenges 15 WHAT THEY KNOW: Teaching Adults: They. and a goal that will motivate them to learn. How can we take advantage of their motivation to learn? Although your students may have the initial motivation to enroll in classes, it may vanish. we face and suggest some ways to over- come them. The ADVANTAGES Of Teaching Adults A UTONOMOUS LEARNERS When we teach English to adults, we’re dealing with individuals who, to a greater