The Importance of Adult Learning
So why teach adults?
I have chosen to work with adults & young adults on a group and 1-to-1 basis, for lots of different reasons:
- I can set my hours of work so I control my schedule and also my earning potential
- I can focus on creating the learning environment I want to create where I know my learners will thrive and me also!
- I can plan my own schemes of work & create my own resources - but if you don’t want to do this this you will find lots in our Resource Centre
So why do adults want to learn French?
I would say that there are a variety of reasons why adults learn French with me:
they want to resurrect a skill they had at school
they go on holiday to France and want to converse with the locals
they have a just bought a holiday home and need to negotiate the tricky admin of a country that is can be quite bureaucratic
they want to keep their grey matter going – we all know how great learning a language is for preserving memory
also, loneliness can be a factor – getting out to meet people and make social connections
You may ask yourself, who's going to turn up on a cold, wintery evening to learn French for a couple of hours?
Well, quite a few people, actually. They are really motivated and sometimes ask really hard questions that I have to really think about to give the right answer to. Some of my learners have been with me for 5 or 6 years, so I must be doing something right.
Who are my learners?
I am privileged to get to work with people from such diverse walks of life. I've taught teachers, GPs, a child minder, civil servants and even an NHS consultant, the list goes on. Most of them are more highly qualified than me, however all of them are pleasant to teach.
What are the benefits of adult learning?
Adult learning permits isolated people an opportunity to meet other people. Just because you're older, bereaved or lonely, it doesn’t mean you can't be an effective learner. Some of my learners struggle with loneliness & these French lessons allow them to make friends and connect with the community. We’ve created a supportive environment which is very social but it also is beneficial for learning.
When we couldn’t meet face to face
In fact, during the pandemic the Zoom sessions were for bringing the groups together and enabling the learners to see each other face to face, providing that human connection that we all craved during that difficult period.
Teaching adults is a privilege and in a world where often youth is given priority, I wouldn’t swap my corner of language teaching with any other.
If you’d like to learn more about how you can start teaching adults or develop your business teaching adults then why not book a Power Hour with me so that we can chat it through and develop a strategy for you. Or if you’re ready to work more deeply with me then we can work together on your business for the longer term - click here to learn more
Barbara Allen