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In a learning, there are some levels of students such as the level of learning based on
the students ages. People categorize learning at differences ages into young learner,
adolescent learner and adult or older learner. According to Loucotcova (2011), young
learners are considered to be pupils between six to ten or eleven years old. Adult and older
learners are from the age of 19 to death. While Lewis (in Loucotcova, 2011) stated that
teenagers are between the ages of twelve to ninteen. He categorized teenagers into three types; young
teenagers are 12 – 14, middle teenagers are 14 – 17 and late teenagers are 17 – 19.
Every levels presents differences characteristics of the learning. Some people think
young students learn language faster than other age groups bacause children can more easily
catch the new vocabulary than adult or older learner which has psycholigical barrier in
children. Whereas, adolescent students are an exciting group since they like a challenge and
have a curiosity about new things. In this learning, we would like to discuss about lerning at
different ages.
1. Young Learners
Young children learn different from adolescent, adult and older learner. Children need
a lot of exposure in acquiring the language. It means young students like to study in some
conditions where they can feel the new language and feel fun in learning it. Childern like to
learn everythings around them rather than focuse on the topics they are being taught. Their
understanding does not only come from the explanatiom, it also comes from what they see,
hear, touch and interact with. In other hand, young learners are usually curious about the
world and like to learn because they want to know about everything around them, they like to
ask what is it? what for is it? why this and those happens? And there are many guestions they
ask.
Moreover, children are happy to tell about themselves, their friends, family, people
around them and their experience. When they are in learning activity, their attention span is
learning situations. Furthermore, young children are pleased to have the teachers’ approval
and attention, they really need the guidance from the teacher so that it will make them feeling
happy if the teacher gives respons to every statements or questions which are asked by the
students.
Teaching young learner is not easy because the condition, situation and activity in the
class should be fun and comfortable. So that understanding the characteristics of children is
important for a teacher since it will help his or her to decide what kinds of learning and
activites should be applied in teaching young learners. These are some tips of teaching young
learners.
The activity in the class should involve some activities that relate to learning subject.
The teacher must be creative it means that the teacher can change activities in learning
one topic. For example, in learning parts of body, the teacher applies three activities
such as asking the students to set right between pictures and words, asking the
students to arrange names of parts of body from top to down and asking the students
The activity should be combined betwen learning and playing so the students can
enjoy when they learn the subject. For example, in learning transportation topic, the
teacher gives some cards which consist of some explantions about the use of
transportation, then ask the students to set right the explanation toward the
transportation picture.
The teacher can use appropriate activity in learning a topic. The teacher applies songs,
puzzles, games, art and physical movement in teaching the topics. For example, the
The teacher should make an interesting class such as the setting, situation and
condition look like cheerful and comfortable. For example, there are some pictures in
the wall of class and it is colourfull so when the students come to class, they can gues
Pay special attention to your own english pronunciation – children are good imitators.
Children like to imitate what an adult says so in learning English the teacher should
give the correct pronunciation to the students. If the teacher do not give the correct
Adult learners learn different from children, they have less need to engage in learning
activities like children because they can think in abstract ways and have the ability to explore
sometimes dislike teaching method which lead them to remind about the children learning. In
other hand, adult or older students are able to learn self-directed since they have expectation
about the learning process and may already have their own ways of learning. The adult
learners tend to be disciplined than some teenagers and they can handle even increase the
learning motivation. When they get bored towards the learning, they are able to build their
motivation even if boredom comes they still join the learning process.
Unlike young children and teenagers, adults often have a clear understanding of the
reasons and the purpose of learning. they realize the function of learning towards the life so
The adult learners can be critical of teaching methods. Their previous learning
experiences may have influence towards their learning so when there is a certain unfamiliar
teaching method which makes them uncomfortable in learning, they will be a critical of it.
Being a teacher leads his or her into understanding well the charateristics of learning
based on the ages. Teaching adults or older learners is not easy because the way adults think
is different from younger and teenager. They tend to focus and serious in learning so
sometimes the students will often be ready to join the learning activity, that is why the
teacher should have well ability to teach the adult students. There are some tips that the
Find out what intersts different student individual in order to plan the most
appropriate lesson.
intersts of the students will help the teacher to create a good learning activity.
Sometimes, in a class every students has different characteristics and interests so
determining the appropriate lesson plan is not easy. The teacher can combine two or
even more than two techniques in teaching adults. For example, in learning speaking,
the teacher can applies two technique such as guesing miming and role play. Guessing
saying anything while another students try to guess what is the profession (students
practice as a teacher, doctor, police etc). After that, the teacher can change the activity
to role play where students are asked to play some profession (a student becomes a
doctor and other be patient, one student becomes police while other becoming an
Be prepared to explain things but remember that many adults learn by doing things
too.
The teacher should prepare about how to explain the topic such as explaining the
grammar rules. Althought adult learners do not like to learn as children but they still
need the activity that lead them to use the rules of language. When the teacher explain
about the grammar rules, it emphasises on using it. For example, after expalining
about the grammar rules such as tenses, the teacher can ask the students to make essay
using them.
Discuss the best ways of learning with your students so that everyone is happy with
your lessons.
In order to achieve learning goals, sometimes the teacher needs to discuss with
students about learning activities. Since the adults are critical thinking, they can give
Provide clear short term goals so that the students can achieve success at each stage.
The students should know the goals of learning the subject in order to have ilustration
about what for and how important of learning a subject. For example, when the
students learn about grammar rules, the teacher must explain the purposes, functions
ways. In other words, they have an ability to explore their ideas or opinions in a ways that the
children cannot do. Many teenagers are curious about the things that interest them that is why
they like to try something new in their life. At learning process, adolescent students have a
large spirit. It is sometimes good when they can lead the spirit into positive activity. but if
they cannot bring it correctly, it will be more serious problem for them.
Teenager students are very conscious of their age and find it annoying when adults try
to teach them as children. They do not have choice not to come in English lessons class, they
are there because they have to be there. They may not see any good reason and the benefit to
learn English. Most teenagers tend to listen to their friends who can give a good opinion than
teachers or parents.
Encourage teenagers to have opinions and to think critically and questioningly about
In a learning activity, a teacher should have a capability to invite or push the students
to give opinion or idea about the material. Teenager students start to think in abstract
ways so they can explore their knowledge about the topic being discussed. For
example, learning reading, before teacher explain the material, he or she can invite the
students to give citical thinking about the topic. The teacher can ask questions such as
what is the narrative text? What is the characteristics of narrative text? etc.
In this situation, the teacher can lead the students to tell about their knowledge or
experience. For example, in learning writing, the teacher can ask the students to write
Treat the students like adults but remember they are still children.
As a teacher, patient is important. Although the teenager students can think in abstract
ways, they are still childish so when the teacher educate them, he or she can give a
treatment which shows as if they are adult students. For example, The students make
essay about descriptive then do not force them to make essay consist of more than
three paragraphs.
The students will have responsibility for their learning if the teacher are able to push
them to have motivation in learning. When it happens, the students will feel
responsibility towards their lerning. In other hand, the teacher can give treatment
which are able to make the students feel that responsibility is important. For example,
if the students are lazy to do assigment, the teacher can add another assigment as a
Be super-organised! Teenagers like to know what they are doing and why.
A teacher should have well preparation about the arrangment of learning activity in
the class. Having organized learning activities can help students to learn the language
well. When the teacher organizes the activity, he or she must know its purpose
because sometimes students like to know and ask about for what we do this activity
and why we should do this. For example, The teacher asks the students to go out the
class then find out the things they can describe it.
Be consistent when there are discipline problems. Criticise the behaviour, not the
students.
to correct the mistakes without hurting the learners. When the students make mistakes
the teacher may not directly blame or angry with them because it will give negative
impact such as students are less interest or lazy in learning the subject.
Teacher : if I have much money, I will buy a helicopter, I will buy a helicopter
Refferences
Harmer, Jeremy. 2001. The Practice of English Language Teaching third edition. UK.
Cambrige university.
Loucotcova, Eva. 2011. Young Leaners and Teenagers – Analysis of their Atitude to