Teaching English to Adults

Teaching English to adults is a challenge because the process is completely different as it s for children. The big difference is given by the expectations that the participants have.

When children are learning a language, they don’t care about the proper use of grammar or if the type of communication is categorized as formal or informal, they just want to solve the problem of not understanding what a person is saying and to be understood as well.

An adult is expecting something different because they want to use the language for communicating with an audience that doesn’t accept mistakes and proficiency is required. The problem comes in the             incapability of learning academic English level at once without crossing the barrier of understanding and being understood.

Adults because of their comprehension of the reality and the cost of learning a new language represents due to money and time invested in the process; want to move from beginner to advanced level in a month if it’s possible.

Of course the methodology applied to teach an adult has to be adequate for fulfilling the communication necessities mentioned above.

Due to the limited resources, accessibility and opportunities for practicing the language, the methodology involves the use of a lot imagination which is quite difficult to be developed in a country in which the majority of the population is not accustomed to read and reading the first step to develop imagination; the possibilities reduce for using the methodology.

Now because of the factors mentioned that limits the use of imagination, the undercover methods for imagination use are the best to apply at the time of teaching adults a new language. The undercover methods are also called content-based methods in which we use different situations related to normal life events. The situations that are presented in a content-based method oblige the students to use the language functions required to solve the problems presented at the situation. In the process of problem solving the student learns to use the grammar indirectly and then a simple review of the rules are necessary.

In a similar approach the process previously mentioned can be taught backwards by presenting the rules of grammar as functions to solve problems when a situation requires them.

Independently of method used to teach an adult a new language becomes a challenge for the actual and future generations, it requires a deep engagement and responsibility and becomes a very gratifying achievement at the end.