In last week’s English Is Power column, the frightening global problem of adult Illiteracy was highlighted.

This week, the objective is to impart knowledge that will encourage those bearing the task of teaching adults with English language impairments to review their teaching methodology and to reinforce the importance of giving due cognizance to the different ways adults learn, especially those with low literacy skills.

Understanding how people learn and how teaching, tutoring and training methods impede or facilitate that process is the key to maximizing the effectiveness of any learning or training session.

In the case of impaired adults, the challenge is even greater because unlike learners in a normal education system, adult learners do not usually have to be there. There is no compulsion to attend and they often need to be convinced that what they are being invited to do is definitely to their personal benefit.

These 12 recommendations are based on the Adult Teaching module I use when conducting Certificate IV courses in Teaching English To Speakers Of Other Languages (TESOL) at Benguet State University and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

1. Adults must want to learn. To attract adults to participate in English language programs, they need to have a strong personal motivation and willingness to gain new skills or acquire particular knowledge.

2. Adults prefer to learn what is practical and beneficial. Adults have a mind-set when it comes to learning anything. They think: “How will this help me with what I am doing right now?” -

“How am I going to personally gain from learning these things at my age?

3. Adults learn by doing. Active participation and hands-on involvement in the learning process is a characteristic of adult-learning. Retention can be increased when adult learners have the opportunity to practice or use what they have learned - in some cases, a number of times.

4. Adult learners like to know 'why'. Most adults query and question. Adult learners like to know “why” something applies in a situation. They should not just be expected to accept what they are being taught. They like to be told about any rules that may apply and have them explained to them in logical terms, which is why the 4S Keys for Understanding Pronunciation and Spelling are so popular with adult learners.

5. Adults are problem solvers. Many adults learn faster when a problem - solution approach is used for teaching English concepts especially in the area of grammar.

To this end, common problem errors in speech and writing can be examined and the adult learners are given the task to work out the solution. This is why the 4S-AEP Formal – Functional Grammar Register uses a Problem-Solution, teaching approach.

6. Adults draw on their past. When faced with specific problems, adult learners draw on their past experiences to work out practical solutions.

7. Adult learning is affected by experiences. The major difference between adults and children as learners is that adults have had many life experiences. This can be an asset or a liability. Negative feelings or failure attached to past experiences may hamper new learning.

8. Adults learn best in an informal environment. Many adults have unpleasant memories of school days. They will respond to adult education programs if the learning environment does not remind them of their negative, childhood, education experiences.

9. Adult teaching requires a variety of methods and strategies. Adult teaching strategies need to be adapted to suit learning goals. If the main purpose is to impart information, the most efficient method is some version of the lecture. If the purpose is to bring about change in the conduct, behaviour, attitudes or ideas of the learner, the learner must be involved actively in the process.

10. Adults want guidance, not grades. Competition, such as grading, can have a negative effect on adult learning. At the same time, adult learners want desperately to know how they are doing.

11. Adults know if they are achieving. Adult learners know whether their performance has measured up to their goals. Adults should be encouraged to measure their own progress or work on teams that can compare each other’s progress.

12. Adults need to believe they can do it. Negative past education experiences linger on and in a new learning situation, adult learners need to be convinced that they can “do it”.

Implementing these 12 points is not a panacea to the problem education systems face in attracting illiterate adult learners but experience has shown that acknowledging them in a positive way will make the task much easier.

For a free copy of the 4S Core Combination– Different Sounds Chart – e-mail: contact @4Sliteracy.com.au. (The author is a former politician, an educator and the director of the Australian International Language Academy).