Learners' Age Groups ( Describing learners )

 

Hello everyone🙌

Most of us started their schools maybe some of us continue with online education or face to face education. After all, the new education term has started.

In this term, teachers should be careful about their students' ages because people of different ages have different needs, skills, competences, etc. Especially in this term, it is very important for us to understand them. We will look at the characteristics of these ages in terms of language learning.

There are three fundamental ages: young children, adolescents, and adults.

1.           
  1. Young children

* This group is especially for up to the ages of nine or ten.  For them, a good teacher affects their language learning. Teachers of these groups should be encouraging, understanding, and empathetic. Students need individual attention and they need approval.

* Their understanding is not only exemplifying or explanation but also with their senses such as see, hear, touch, taste, etc. For instance, when they learn the shapes, looking at them, or touching them will become more permanent for them. They must have a chance to interact with them 

* They are very curious about the world or everything around them so, they are so enthusiasm for learning.

* They have limited attention, they can easily get bored or losing their interests. It takes generally 10 minutes. So, when teachers choose their activities, they should be careful and, they should be cautious about extra activity. Additionally, classroom environment should be bright and interesting such as colorful posters, walls, pictures, etc.

* Group works are especially useful and effective for them to a good relationship with their classmates.

* They use their imagination skills which are very important at that age and we should allow them to use their imagination when they are learning something such as puzzle or draw activities, etc.

* In young learners, they are willing to talk about themselves and their own lives so, it can be a good response for them choosing topics about their lives.

 

2.      2.  Adolescents

* For many teachers, these ages can be a little more complicated. this group includes students between the ages of 12 and 18. 

* They have great capacity to learn and potential for creativity and passion, they are good learners but also, they have less motivation because of searching for their identities. It affects their learning skill very bad.

* Adolescents can be crucial, and they may have some discipline problems. Because of that, teachers should control them but at the same time they should be supportive and helpful, teachers should engage them in lessons. They may push their teachers' limit, in that case, contrary to shouts or bad attitude, teachers should find constructive ways.

* As I mentioned before they have some problems with their individual identities. In that term, schools or teachers can help them with conferences because dealing with problems without any information can be challenging for them. If they feel more confident, they can be more concentrate on their lessons. It affects good ways.

* Teachers must give them tasks or homework that they are able to do rather than risk humiliating them. Teachers should be aware of their students’ interests.

 

3.      3. Adults

* Adults are different from other age groups because they have experiences about learning. They have their own learning ways. They can engage with abstract thoughts.

* They are more motivated and disciplined than adolescents. They have a clear understanding of what they need or do not need.

* Their activities are longer and more complicated than other learners. As in other age groups, visual and auditory learning is important and more permanent for them. They learn something with indirect learning such as writing, listening, etc.

* On the other hand, adults are never entirely problem-free learners. For example, their previous learning experience may have affected them in a good or bad way.

*Also, many adults do not trust their intellectual powers this can reduce their motivation.

 

In a nutshell, we should know that every age is different, and they need different strategies to learn something. We cannot use strategies that are suitable for young learners to adults.

Have a nice day and have a nice education term.

See you next post👋💛

 

Source:

Harmer, J. (2001). The practice of English language teaching. London / New York                                                             Chapter 3: Describing learners, p. 37-41.