Who Are Our Learners? (Unit 2)

Who Are Our Learners?

As I enter into the English language learning environment, my eyes have been opened to the wide array of types of classrooms and the learners that fill them.

Speaking and writing English is not only necessary for those moving to English-speaking countries, but is also the primary language used by professionals around the world.  Some classes cater to  professionals with advanced degrees in their own languages, that want to improve their English skills.  Other classes focus on job language and skills so students can quickly move into the workforce to support their families.  Others are intensive and immersive experiences in the English language designed for students wanting to apply to English universities. Other classes offer childcare for families with young children to lessen the burden of finding it themselves.  School age children often have special English classes along side their regular classes to try and quickly integrate them into regular school programs.  Many English classes are offered in other countries where students all speak the same first language, and approaches to teaching may be different than teaching a class with students from various language backgrounds.

While each type of class is different, each learner bring their own needs with many variables.  We must consider their age, cultural background, family and work obligations, digital literacy, learning strategies, goals, expectations and motivations, previous English and other education, and any special needs or assets they have.  All of these can greatly impact how the learner learns. It also affects how we adapt our lessons and the strategies we use in creating a good learning environment for everyone. If can affect how we organize classroom groups, how we use technology, seating arrangements, classroom dynamics, whether we assign homework, etc.

So where do I fit into all of this?  I enjoy working with lower level classes (CLB 1-4) but have also worked with many university students with English as a second language.  This is a growing market as many international students want to attend English universities.  As I proceed through the TESL program, I hope that I will have exposure to more information and possibly more hands on experience in different levels, so that I may be able to answer this question better.  However, a career at the end of this program, may be entirely dependent on where there actually are positions available

Reference:

Brown, D. & Lee, H. (2015). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy
      (4th ed. revised). Chapters 6 and 7 Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education.