36th/wdt/lee ji eun(amy)

When I was high school student, I didn't like english class. At that time I thought my english teacher was so lazy and tiresome that she looked like she didn't  preparing class enough to satisfy students. In english class my English teacher only read a text book and students repeated after the teacher and then she wrote words and phrases on the Blackboard and students also wrote down words and phrases on the note book which the English teacher wrote. Then she called a student number and had the student interpret textbook. almost all the students in my class didn't like her and before the class some student underwent stress from her class. Why didn't the students like her class? Why didn't the students undergo stress for her class? Maybe student felt that the class was not helpful for their studying english. also students didn't have interest in that class because a student can read a textbook by themselves and a student can also study words and phrases by oneself. I think that my english teacher didn't know what the students wanted or what the students needed. If she had known what they wanted and what the students needed, her class would have been helpful for students.

On the contrary to adult learners, students have to take the English class to graduate high school and to take the college scholastic ability test. Students couldn't have the right of choice but adult learners have the right of choice. So if adult learners don't want to listen to  the class they can stop or give up the class.

So if your students are adult learners, what should we do?

I think that at first we should know adult learners' characteristics.

Malcolm Knowles identified adult learners' characteristics: adults are autonomous & self-directed, adults have life experiences and are knowledgeable, adults are goal-oriented, adults are relevancy-oriented and adults need to be shown respect.

When adults have aim, they study something. so maybe all adult students are passionate in the class. therefore teachers help the students stay passionate.

On the contrary to high school students they have the right of choice to be at the class.

So I think in the adults class teachers must not treat the adult learners like high school students and show them that the classes are helpful to reach their goal. And teachers must provide adult students the reason why they should study something to get to his or her goal.

As adult learners have many experiences and knowledge, it is helpful to studying some thing. So teachers can use the experiences in the class and motivate adult learners to study  effectively, so teachers know how to use it.

And I think that interaction is essential in an adult class, because they are not passive but active in their studying and I think that essentially it is also the way to respect students. And adult learners maybe want interaction.

As adult learners are not the same as teenager students, teachers should know the characteristics for adult learners to teach them effective.