Literacy Council of Montgomery County, MD Presentation 2
Rev 9-24-2014
Teaching Adults
[35 minutes]
Materials
· Handout #4 – Guidelines for Tutors
· Handout #5 – The Adult Learner
Suggested Teaching Methods
· Interactive / Trainee participation
· Areas for posting sticky notes
Essential Presentation Elements
Introduction
Teaching adults presents some challenges that we don’t face with children. The purpose of this segment is to help tutors understand
· the general characteristics of adult learners
· how the learning environment and cultural norms can affect their students implications for teaching
· the tutor’s role as facilitator
Use the sticky notes to sort the challenges into the following categories and discuss the implications of each. Hand out 2 to each table, and ask them to post them in the appropriate category. Give approximately 5 minutes. Keep the rest for discussion purposes, or ask about non-posted items from list. Goal is for the tutor trainees to be aware of the 4 areas that make adult learning different.
Post it/ sticky notes (choose only 2 per table/ mixed categories)
Adult characteristics:
· Independent
· Self motivated
· Learners by choice
· Respected in their communities
· Juggling multiple responsibilities
· Goal oriented
· Limited or adverse educational experiences
· Experienced in life
· Impatience/ want it now
Difficulties with the English language
· Slang
· Idioms
· Abbreviations
· Acronyms
· Homonyms (same sound; different meaning
· Synonyms (different words, same meaning)
· Irregular verbs Irregular spellings
· Colloquialisms
· Regional accents
· Exceptions to grammar and spelling rules
Cultural implications
· Reverence for teachers
· Children as more competent
· Over-reliance on tutors
· Gifts/food/social customs
· Importance of punctuality
· Male/female roles
· Desire to please
· Work ethic
· Competing responsibilities
· Limited or bad interactions with schools
Learning styles
· Aural
· Interactive
· Visual
· Kinesthetic
· Tactile
· Possible learning disabilities
· Conflict with tutor preferred teaching style
After categorization, discuss the following in more detail. Discuss as you review the posted sticky notes. Not all need to be discussed, and detail can be limited.
Characteristics of Adult Learners – recommended to discuss four (note: this information is contained in handout #5):
They are goal-oriented.
It is important for tutors to learn about student goals. Some will be long-range (examples include obtaining a driver’s license, helping their children with school work, getting a better-paying job). Others will be more immediate (such as reading road signs or a menu). Various lessons in the skill books incorporate things that help students move toward their goals. Goal-setting will be discussed in detail at on Day 2 of the workshop.
They are learners by choice (self-motivated).
The desire to achieve personal goals helps the student maintain his/her motivation.
They bring their life experiences with them.
A student’s unique life experiences can provide opportunities for enhancing the learning situation. Their experiences can provide subject matter for conversation and written work.
They have multiple demands on their time.
Because most students have family responsibilities and many also work full-time, it is important to be flexible. A tutor should expect students to arrive on time and be prepared to work. Occasionally, however, the tutor may have to modify the focus of a particular session if outside demands prevented the student from completing homework.
They are independent.
A student may choose to leave the program when his/her goals have been met, even though all lessons have not been mastered. The tutor should understand this and not consider it a failure.
They enjoy status in their family and community.
A tutor must recognize that a student’s inability to read, or to communicate in English, does not imply that the student is ignorant or held in low regard. Students often are respected and valued for contributions to their communities.
Learning Styles – Cover all six styles (note: this information contained in handout #5):
Adult learners learn best in an informal setting. Within such a setting, there is no “best” way to teach. It is important for tutors to get a feel for the combination of approaches that is most effective for their students:
Style / Learns best through:Print / reading
Aural / listening; verbal direction
Interactive / talking, discussion
Visual / observation; visual stimuli (pictures, graphs, demonstrations)
Kinesthetic / physical involvement (moving, “air” writing, drawing, role playing)
Tactile / writing, touching (spelling with tiles, building models)
The method that a tutor finds most effective may not be the method that is best for students. Whatever methods are used, tutors must be patient when students hit slow spots.
Effect of Culture on Learning
Note to trainers: It is not necessary to define culture; this will be done on Day 2. However, if someone asks, explain that it is: A shared set of beliefs, values, customs and traditions by a group of people in a particular place and time.
Explain that tutors also must deal with cultural differences. Select 4-5 items from the list / sticky notes to illustrate how culture helps/hinders the learning process:
Difficulties in Learning American English
Select a few items from the list (you will not have time to cover everything) and remind trainees that these concepts are likely to be unfamiliar to ESL students.
· Slang – cool; Beemer
· Idioms – I’m history; catch a bus; on the house; under the weather; half-baked; cream of the crop
· Abbreviations – FBI; TV; VCR; CD; DVD; ATM
· Acronyms (initials of a phrase create a “word”) – ASAP
· Homonyms (same sound; different meaning) – ate/eight; weak/week; to/too/two
· Synonyms (different words, same meaning) – okay/sure/right/you bet/will do
· Irregular verbs (rules for conjugation don’t apply)
· Irregular spellings
· Colloquialisms – sub/hero/grinder/po’boy
· Regional accents – y’all
· Exceptions to grammar and spelling rules – I before E except after C . . . then along comes height
Summary
· Be aware of adult learner characteristics
· Construct tutoring sessions in a manner that helps students meet stated goals
· Be patient
· Remind tutors that handout #5 offers suggestions for working with adults
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