ERIC Number: EJ833486
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 0
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1052-2891
EISSN: N/A
Best Practices for Teaching the "Whole" Adult ESL Learner
Schwarzer, David
New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, n121 p25-33 Spr 2009
Whole language learning implies that teachers look at adult learners as whole persons rather than just ESL learners. It asks the teachers to see the learners in their classes as parents, spouses, employees or business owners, neighbors, churchgoers, and members of various communities. In other words, when they approach learners in their classes as whole persons, they view them as adults with accomplishments, responsibilities, relationships, personal histories, and hopes. Moreover, whole language encourages the teacher and the learner to look at language not in segments but as a whole. In whole language, all language skills are integrated, class participants learn about the cultures of their peers and their communities, social rules are openly discussed, and class activities incorporate the students' knowledge and talents. Based on adult second-language acquisition research and whole-language principles, this chapter describes some best practices for teaching adults in ESL classrooms.
Descriptors: Class Activities, Adult Education, Second Language Learning, Adult Learning, Adult Students, Language Skills, Language Acquisition, Best Practices, Whole Language Approach, Vignettes, Literature Reviews, Teaching Methods
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A