ADULT EDUCATION ESL TEACHERS GUIDE - ESL Teaching Guides/Handbooks

The first step to being a successful adult education ESL teacher is to understand your
students and their motives for attending your class. Adults are not just large children.
Teaching ESL to adults is much different from teaching ESL to first and second grade
students. Frequently, teachers trained in elementary education can use many of their ESL skills
in teaching adults. However, there are major differences that are outlined below.
LIFE EXPERIENCE
Adults bring to the classroom setting a lifetime of experience that should be mutually
shared. Sharing experiences makes the content of the class practical and relevant to daily living.
This ensures that the content of your instruction includes life-coping skills and it stimulates the motivation of the adult students.
MOTIVATION
Adult students for the most part are highly motivated. They attend class of their own free choice usually at some personal and financial sacrifice. Occasional absences are due more to family obligations rather than a lack of motivation.
IMMEDIATE GOALS
Adult students usually have very specific and immediate goals. They are not looking
forward to some long-range academic achievement; rather they need English today to get a job
tomorrow.
SELF CONCEPT
Many adult learners are afraid to return to school for a variety of reasons. They lack the
uninhibited enthusiasm of small children. The undereducated adults, in particular, are convinced
thatthey cannot learn or are too old to learn.
â€¢ What kind of students attend adult ESL Classes?
There is no typical adultESL student. Generally every class will have awide range of
backgrounds,skills and interests. Some ofthemore importantstudent differences are identified
below along with some suggestions asto how these factors may affect how you group your
students and teach your classes.