There are, however,  some differences that merit consideration, despite the risk of stereotyping.  Of course not "all" students fit any description, but here are some things to think about:
 
 

What kinds of things are taking from the cognitive energy required for learning?  To what degree?
What stages of the development of self-concept, incuding group affiliations are my students?  
What is the level of cognitive development?  Have they reached abstract thinking?  How well can they hypothesize?
What are the consequences faced by my students if they fail to learn English?
How much time do my students have to learn outside of class?  When they have time, considering their other responsibilities, will they have the energy?  Is it reasonable to assign out-of-class work?
How much time do my students have to spend socializing and developing support networks outside of class?
What kinds of relationships with native speakers are my students most likely to have?  Friendships - based on equal or unequal symbolic power?  Employee/Employer?  Teacher/Student? Priest/Parishoner? Doctor/patient?
Is there someone students KNOW will adovocate for them if they cannot do so for themselves?  I.e, do they expect someone else to be looking out for them?
How aware are my students of social power, and more particularly, their status in the social power system?  
How willing are my students  to take risks that might cause them to lose face?
What kind of motivation is propelling their studies?
 
These are just a few examples of questions that will USUALLY have widely different answers when considering teaching K-6, 6-12, or adults.  These  concerns, in my opinion, should make a significant difference in how learning is facilitated.


Grace and Peace!
Glenda Lynn Rose, PhD

Instuctor, 
Austin Learning Academy
841-4777
 

--- On Thu, 1/15/09, French, Allan <afrench at sccd.ctc.edu> wrote:

From: French, Allan <afrench at sccd.ctc.edu>
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3439] Re: Cooperation between Adult ESL and K-12ESL
To: "The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List" <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
Date: Thursday, January 15, 2009, 5:22 PM








I have always found it curious how adult students are stereotyped and starkly distinguished from equally stereotyped K-12 students.    Is teaching a 22 year-old high school dropout the same as teaching a former accountant from Vietnam, or a stay-at-home grandmother?  Do all adults really want only relevant contexts and lessons?  I have taught ESL in the workplace and I know that my employee students grew tired of working only on factory work orders and safety warnings.  Adults enjoy an occasional lesson that makes them laugh, or lets them learn about American culture even if they haven’t asked for it.  Conversely, are K-12 students all the same; is teaching 8-10 year-olds just like teaching 15-17 year-olds?   Do kids not care about relevance?  Even in my elementary school days, my friends complained that they saw no need for the math they were being taught.  I also heard that the best math teaching was done by those who made the math
 relevant to the kids.  Finally, it is said that adults bring experience to their learning.  Don’t teenagers have some experience as well?
 
I don’t want to swing the pendulum to the other extreme and say that there are no differences.  However, I feel strongly that we are missing a lot by not making the comparisons more nuanced.
 
As far as K-12 and ABE teachers cooperating, I feel that it is a matter more of will than background.  We are all humans and thus capable of changing, learning and expanding.  While I can’t imagine myself being very successful if I were to be suddenly and simply plopped into an elementary class, I know that I could learn how to be fairly successful.  The problem is more with the “willingness” to learn and adapt.  
 
=====================
Allan D. French
 
ESL Instructor and Assessment Coordinator
Basic and Transitional Studies Division
South Seattle Community College
6000 - 16th Ave. SW
Seattle, WA  98106
 
(206) 768-6836
afrench at sccd.ctc.edu
 
 
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