Teaching Adult Language Learners

The book is originally intended for postgraduate students of applied linguistics and foreign language teachers who may have some unresolved dilemmas about foreign language education for adults. It opens with a chapter about seven dominant perspectives on the learning process. The book moves across the notions of adulthood, adult learner, adult education, and principles of foreign (the prefix second is interchangeably used) language teaching methodology. The final chapter is designed to help you reflect on your own inclinations towards embracing or rejecting novelties in teaching design. Overall, the first four chapters may appeal to a broad audience, but the final three chapters may require a level of relevant experience and supplementary reading about issues in education and foreign language methodology.

This book can be read from cover to cover, but it is not necessary to do so. I encourage you to skip to chapters that you find relevant. Every chapter has a few sections which I labeled Personal Noteswhere I tried to spare you the academic style and provide some opportunities for reflections by means of my personal experiences, dilemmas, observations, and anecdotes. The chapters also have Highlightswhich tend to sum up or emphasize key elements in the textbook’s segments for which I assumed it would be necessary. Every chapter ends with a few Questions for Reflections and Discussions which are meant to motivate you to reexamine your understanding of the reviewed and proposed ideas.