Preparing Trainees to Teach Adults: Challenge for Teacher Training Programmes in Slovakia

Eva Homolová, Slovakia

Eva Homolová is a teacher trainer at the Department of English and American Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. She is interested in teacher’s and learners´ roles and using authentic material in ELT. She has written two monographs on roles and one on ways of using job advertisements in developing language skills. E-mail: Eva.Homolova@umb.sk

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Introduction
Background
Introducing the course
Teacher training implications
Conclusion
References

Introduction

In many educational systems the preparation of future language teachers usually focuses on four academic fields; linguistics, literature, culture and methodology. In ELT methodology our attention is paid to basic areas such as presentation and practice of language, evaluation and assessment, planning, methods and approaches in teaching English, motivation and classroom management. In Slovakia all of these areas are primarily aimed at basic and secondary language education as our trainees will start their teaching career in basic and secondary schools (learners aged 6-18).

As almost no attention is paid to teaching adults I would like to tackle several aspects that can positively or negatively influence learners´ and teacher’s success or failure in teaching adult learners outside institutional system. Alongside I will suggest teacher training implications, providing teacher trainers with some possibilities how to increase trainees´ awareness of adult teaching and learning.

Background

Is adult learner a neglected learner?

I dare to say that now the only group of learners that stands at the fringe of our attention are adult learners. Hypothetically we can raise a question: What will happen if a newly qualified teacher refuses to teach within our institutional educational system and becomes a freelance teacher? I assume s/he will start teaching English either in private language schools or be hired by various companies or firms to provide language teaching to their employees. My estimation is that approximately 25 % of our trainees teach either on the tertiary level or in private schools where they undoubtedly teach also adults.

Having gone through methodology course for children and teenagers, our trainees face a serious problem. “How should I approach adult learners, who might be older than me and have much life experience?”

Introducing the course

If our trainees are to succeed in the ELT market, teacher training courses should provide them with basic knowledge, skills and methods how to successfully approach also adult learners – their future clients. To solve the problem I have designed and introduced the course: Teaching English to Adult Learners which is offered to 1st year MA trainees in the English language Teacher Program as an optional course. Enrolled trainees have passed 2 semesters of general ELT methodology.

The primary aims of the course are:

• To raise trainee’s awareness of differences between basic/secondary school learners and adult learner.
• To make them aware of methods, approaches and activities in teaching adults
• To outline the difference between teaching general English versus teaching ESP
• To show them how to prepare a needs analysis questionnaire.
• To get to know how to choose, evaluate and adapt teaching materials for adults (course books, authentic texts etc.)
• To point out teacher’s and learner’s roles in teaching adult.

Syllabus

The syllabus of the course is determined by what trainees should know in order to provide effective teaching that would result in successful learning. The theoretical input and practical implications are based on knowledge and skills already acquired in previous ELT courses.

In general we focus on:

1. Motivation of adult learners
2. Adult learners and their characteristics (mental, cognitive, affective, social)
3. How adults learn - learning styles and learning strategies
4. Teaching general English versus teaching ESP
5. Analysing learning needs, designing a needs analysis questionnaire
6. Adult course books and teaching materials evaluation and adaptation
7. Tips and tricks for teaching adult

Organisation of the course

The course is a blend of trainer’s input, brainstorming, workshops, discussions, self-study and micro teaching. After the initial theoretical input I try to elicit possible teaching implications followed by practical activities to make the theory more accessible. We analyse video extracts, suggesting and discussing possible solutions. Throughout the course trainees do a lot of reading and writing (articles reviews, lesson plans and they analyse video extracts). Unfortunately so far trainees have no official opportunities to teach adults during their training programme as the compulsory teaching practice is organized in basic and secondary schools. A discussion with a practising teacher of adult learners rounds up the course.

Teacher training implications

ACTIVITY 1 Differences between young and adult learners

Aim: developing awareness of differences between adult learners and young learners.

Procedure: Trainees are given “characteristics” of adult language learners on slips of paper and they have to categorize them under:

        YOUNG LEARNER                        ADULT LEARNER

(Some examples of characteristics are given in the table below)

Table 1. Some differences between young and adult learners

ACTIVITY 2 Characteristics of adult learners

Aim: Developing awareness of adult learner’s characteristics.

Procedure: Learners get a handout with characteristics (see examples) and they have to categorize them under following headings:

MENTAL        AFFECTIVE        BIOLOGICAL        PHYSICAL

Examples of characteristics:

• AL (adult learner) can suffer from visual difficulties.
• AL is more attuned to comfortable surroundings.
• Some ALs see the group as an opportunity to display their talent or knowledge.
• AL may be passive in pair/group work.
• AL addresses a particular personal problem.
• Al has a different background and experiences. Etc.

After the feedback we try to suggest possible classroom implications.

ACTIVITY 3 Creating positive atmosphere in the class

Aim: Developing awareness of affective side of learning English, focusing on the importance of mother tongue in creating positive atmosphere

The trainees should develop the awareness of affective side of language learning:

• Adult learners should not be exposed to any fears, anxiety or threads
• They are more sensitive to discomfort and unpleasant environment
• Positive feeling will produce more effective learning
• Poor self image can result in poor results

Mother tongue can play an important role in creating positive learning conditions. Being in a new social situation with unknown “classmates” around, the teacher cannot expect adults to keep constantly asking him/her questions and their revealing incompetence in understanding English. Allowing the use of L1 can diminish fear and establish positive atmosphere in learners.

Procedure: Video extracts from lessons in which mother tongue has been used. Trainees analyse the extracts stating arguments for/against using the mother tongue in concrete examples. Afterwards they work on teaching a specific language item, considering the use of L1/L2. After presentations a feedback discussion on effectiveness of L1 follows.

ACTIVITY 4 Learning tasks for adults

Aim: Considering the appropriateness of learning tasks and activities for cognitive and affective side of adult learners

An important aspect of teaching adults is the right choice of learning tasks and activities. As the adult age rangers between 18-80+, the course books for adults cannot always guarantee that learning tasks/activities will be suitable for all adult learners – the topic and organisation of work has to be carefully considered e.g. some topics are closer to “younger, less mature adults” such as pop culture, specific ESP areas, etc.

Accordingly not all learning tasks and activities are suitable for group of people who do not know each other very well e.g. activities in pairs/groups when learners have to touch each other, stand very closely to each other or ask/answer personal questions.

Procedure: A handout of more tasks and activities copied from various course books for adults. To make trainees aware of suitability of tasks and activities provided in an adult teaching, the trainer can ask them to analyze one adult course book focusing on the content not language. They have to go through all tasks and activities and categorize them into three groups, stating reasons for:

Tasks my elder siblings would like... Why?
Tasks my parents would like... Why?
Tasks my grandparents would like...Why?

A discussion in which trainees suggest possible changes in activities follows the activity.

Trainees evaluate them, formulate their objectives; learn how to explain objectives to learners before they start doing it. If necessary, learners should adapt them considering the language level (make the level difficulty lower or higher) and content (more appropriate to learners´ needs).

ACTIVITY 5 Teacher’s roles in adult class

Aim: Developing awareness of suitable teacher’s roles (considering the aim/stage of the lesson, learners etc.).

Many teachers enjoy their privileged position of having the right answers, of being all-knowing and actively controlling and directing learners. The teacher should be aware of the effect of some of these characteristics on adult learners. Teachers´ choice of roles is very strongly influenced by teacher’s personality and a novice teacher without years of practice behind can mask his/her uncertainty by staying in the role of controller for too long.

Procedure: To make trainees aware of the importance of moving in and out roles (considering the aim/stage of the lesson, learners etc.), I recommend providing them with “a hands-on experience class”.

I teach a language improvement class and deliberately I stay in the role of controller and assessor during the whole session, not allowing them “any freedom” to express what they want. I give lengthy, unstructured and complicated instructions without checking their understanding. I correct every single mistake disregarding accuracy/fluency activities. During the 45 minute session I dominate the group in all activities.

In the feedback session I ask how they felt, what I did wrongly and they are allowed “to criticise me”. Afterwards we together try to come up with all possible improvements of the session.

ACTIVITY 6 Needs analysis

Aim: to teach them how to design a needs analysis questionnaire for a group of ESP learners (e.g. employers of the City library).

Procedure: Trainees study several examples of needs analysis, focusing on its content and form. Later in small groups they prepare A Needs analysis questionnaire (in Slovak) for a group of ESP adult learners. Analysis and evaluation follows.

Conclusion

In this English dominated age no one can doubt that adult teaching deserves our full attention. To ignore the fact that our future teachers will teach adults would result in inappropriate preparation for their teaching profession.

Although in our situation it is not possible to devote too much time to methodology of teaching adults, we can take some practical steps to raise trainees´ awareness of adult teaching and provide them with basic knowledge and skills how to approach them. The adult learner – a neglected species will appreciate it.

References

Bernat, E: Attending to Adult Learners. In: Humanizing Language Teaching, Issue 3, September 2004, old.hltmag.co.uk

Harding, K: English for Specific Purposes. OUP, 2007.

Harmer, J.: How to Teach English. Longman, 2009,

Krowitz, M. J: English for Professionals. Washington, USIA, 1985,

Larsen-Freeman, D.- Anderson, M: Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. OUP, 2011.

Tudor, I: Learning School. In: Humanizing Language Teaching, Issue 1, January 2004

Please check the How to be a Teacher Trainer course at Pilgrims website.