level, and goals. What works with one group might not work
as well with another.
To meet the needs of all the students you might teach, you
need to stay $exible and build up a supply of resources,
techniques, and activities that you can adapt to !t various
teaching situations and groups of learners.
How old are the learners?
Of course, you wouldn’t teach ten year olds in the same way
you’d teach 40 year olds. Learners of di"erent ages require
di"erent approaches, methods, and activities.
Children learn best through simple, concrete means—through
demonstrations, imitation, movement, and rhythm. Songs
with movements and gestures are excellent activities for
children. If they like a song, chant, or simple game, they
won’t mind repeating it again and again. Young children are
willing to do things just for fun. The joy of learning and a
sense of accomplishment are strong motivators for them.
Young children have an amazing ability to learn new
languages, as long as they have plenty of chances to hear
them and to try using them on their own. But even young
children can’t learn pronunciation immediately. They also
need time and lots of practice to be able to say new sounds
with consistent accuracy. In fact, very young children may
still be in the process of learning all the sounds of their own
language. For example, many native English-speaking
children don’t completely master sounds like /r/, /l/, /s/,
and /v/ until they are !ve or six years old. (Goldman Fristoe
Test of Articulation-2)As children reach middle school or high school age, they are
better able to understand verbal explanations and abstract
concepts. However, it still works better to keep explanations
short, simple, practical, and nontechnical. Most teenagers
also enjoy songs and games, as long as they don’t seem too
childish, and competition can be a strong motivator for them.
They can learn well from pair and group work if it’s
structured, introduced, and conducted carefully.Adults have a stronger ability to understand explanations and
consciously analyze sounds, but this does not mean that all
we need to do is lecture. Adults also bene!t from learning
through demonstrations, models, and pictures, not just verbal
explanations and “repeat after me.” Gadgets like listening
tubes, dental models, feathers, and rubber bands also work
well with adults.Adults learn well in pair- and group-work activities that are
geared toward their interests and level of maturity. Many
adults also enjoy songs and purposeful games, although it’s186