1. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute OBJECTIVES You will understand: 1. The basic principles that serve as the foundation for all adult education. 2. How these principles apply to language education. You will be able to: 1. Apply the principles of adult education to your language classroom.

2. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute WHAT IS ADULT EDUCATION? Adult education is one of the fastest growing segments of education in the developed world. It is usually divided into three main categories based upon the reason the adult is taking a particular class or course:  Professional development and training, in which the primary goal of the adult students is employment or career enhancement.  Socialization, in which the primary goal of the adult students is to meet people, form networks and integrate into a particular community.  Self-actualization and spiritual development, in which the primary goal of the adult students is their own personal development or the pursuit of a personal interest. Regardless of the category, there are many reasons for the recent surge in adult education including:  The change of developed economies from manufacturing-based economies to knowledge- based economies.  The exponential growth in the overall body of knowledge acquired by the human race.  The increase in the rate of change of the knowledge and skills, particularly technical skills, required to adequately perform work.  The increased importance of soft skills and communication skills for employment and career success.  The widely held belief in developed countries that knowledge and skills can be transformational; it can change people’s lives for the better.

3. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute LIFELONG LEARNING Perhaps the strongest reason behind the rapid growth of adult education, however, is the belief in what is called ‘lifelong learning’. Lifelong learning is the idea that, as humans, we should never stop increasing our knowledge and improving our skills. Lifelong learning is the pursuit of this knowledge and these skills for either personal (socialization, interest) or professional (employment, career growth) reasons. The success or failure of adult education rests with the unique interaction of four factors, at any given time:  The adult learner  The educator or teacher  The subject being studied  The technique being used

4. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute CHARACTERISTICS OF ADULT LEARNERS In 1968, education researcher Malcolm Knowles suggested the term andragogy to differentiate the adult education process from the child education process. He felt that the differences between the two groups of learners were significant enough to warrant a separate field of study. The key areas in which Knowles felt adult learners differed from child learners are:  Adult learners are far more independent and self-directed  Adults have life experience that can either help or hinder their learning  Adults are more internally motivated to learn  Adults are more focused when engaged in the learning process

5. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute ADDITIONAL RESEARCH FINDINGS Additional research and consideration of adult learners has yielded these additional characteristics:  Adults have established values, beliefs, and opinions that affect how and what they learn; if they don’t think they need to learn something, they won’t  Adults have pride and self-esteem that can help or hinder their learning  Adults like to immediately apply what they have learned, in order to make learning relevant and real  Adults can’t focus only on their learning; they have outside lives (families, jobs) that often take precedence over their learning goals and studying

6. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute SELF AWARENESS Adult learners are self-aware; they know why they are studying and what they want to get out of classes. To really tap into this self-awareness, it is helpful for teachers of adult learners to make sure each learner asks and answers the following five questions early on:  What do you want to learn?  Why do you want to learn these things?  How do you want to learn them?  What do you believe you have already learned?  How do you decide you have learned? *When adult learners have answered these questions for themselves, they can then fully and effectively engage in the learning process.

7. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute APPROACHES TO ADULT EDUCATION As educators have gained a better understanding of the characteristics of adult learners, they have also come to understand effective approaches to adult education. Some of these approaches were designed specifically for adult learners. Other approaches are used throughout the entire education spectrum, but are particularly effective in adult education. These approaches to learning are not mutually exclusive. Some approaches overlap with each other; their differences lie in the degree of emphasis placed upon a key feature of the approach.

8. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute KEY APPROACHES FOR ADULT EDUCATION Some of the key approaches utilized in adult education are as follows:  AUTHENTIC LEARNING  CONTEXTUALIZED LEARNING  COOPERATIVE LEARNING  EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING  LEARNER-CENTRED LEARNING  SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING  TRANSFORMATIONAL LEARNING  PLAR

9. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute TYPES OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES Within the above approaches to adult education, there are three broad categories of learning activities that can be used:  TEACHER-ORIENTED TECHNIQUES  INTERACTIVE TECHNIQUES  INDEPENDENT TECHNIQUES

10. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR THE ADULT EDUCATOR Some tips to keep in mind as an adult educator are as follows:  Set the ground rules for the class right from the beginning so that all students know what the expectations of behaviour are.  Encourage students’ questions and comments.  Show respect for students’ opinions that are different from yours.  Recognize that students share responsibility for the success and the failure of their learning.  Involve students in the selection of activities and the direction of the class.  Use humour, courtesy, and respect to keep the learning environment non-threatening.  Provide positive reinforcement through specific comments; adults need positive reinforcement, just like children.  Don’t use a condescending tone or attitude towards students.  Acknowledge and validate the life experience and prior learning that students bring to the class.

11. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute PERSONAL EXPERIENCE Describe an adult education experience you have had in the past using the information about adult education presented in the lecture notes for this module.  What was the purpose of the class or course?  Was it taught well, given that the students were adults?  What approach/approaches were used?  What techniques were used?  Was it an effective experience? Why or why not?

12. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute TYPES OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES Describe a specific situation or time in which you might choose to use the techniques presented in this module within your language classroom: A. Teacher-oriented techniques B. Interactive techniques C. Independent techniques

13. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute Complete Task Journal question 2 and submit via email to jenrjones@rogers.com (preferred) or print and hand in. jenrjones@rogers.com