Adult language instructor needs and requirements
Training is not a one-directional transfer of knowledge. According to adult learning principles the trainer is required to interact with the learners, to understand the learners’ needs and interests, to build on trainee’s experiences, to plan and manage the training sessions, to help trainees develop cognitive skills, to foster reflection upon different problem areas or tasks, to motivate and understand the learner. The trainer needs to show cognitive and technical competences but at the same time pedagogical and social skills and capacities. According to literature, the trainers of today need to adopt a “new role” and to update their skills so that to be able to:
- Customise the learning opportunities to the needs of the trainees while concurrently facilitate learning
- Adapt the learning approaches to the trainees’ cultural background
- Reflect upon her role, her training practices, and her methodological decisions
- Manage her own continuing professional development
- Use ICT to support the training process and to elaborate abstract ideas
- Participate in curriculum design and share experiences
- Act as facilitator, motivator, educator, and part of team
The trainer has to be knowledgeable about the subject that she teaches. However, being knowledgeable is not adequate; what is also needed is to be able to present the educational content, to communicate the objectives, to lay emphasis on real-life tasks, to familiarise learners with the educational material, and to demonstrate through practical examples why the content is useful and relevant to adult learners’ needs. The role that the trainer holds is by no means without challenges. The composition of a learner group and the stressful situations that each learner is faced with make the trainer’s role even more challenging.
Points of interest related to:
It becomes apparent that adult trainers need to take their students’ needs into account but also to align their training practices with research and international views on educational trends. Apart from adopting innovative views with a cognitive focus in the area of language learning and exploiting new technologies, many studies advocate that a foreign language instructor should be able to value cultural diversity. Trainers are expected to accept, explore, and understand different perspectives as well as to act as citizens of a multicultural and global society. Opportunities for instructors and adult language learners to interact with diverse cultures can be created in multiple ways through inclusive teaching practices, reading and multimedia materials, and participation in communities of practice which may be virtual or conventional.
Are there specific requirements when the discussion revolves around adult foreign language learning? Read more>>
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