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When teaching special groups, we need to consider what level our learners are. There are five different categories to choose from. Let us start looking at some different types of learning groups and what some of the advantages or disadvantages are.
First, we can look at Beginner learners, who have little to no experience with the English language. We need to make sure to keep the material simple, use many visuals, and remember to encourage our students. These students can be attend this type of class at any age.
Second, we can have individual one-to-one learners. The advantage to this is type of learning is that there can be a bond formed between teacher and student, and there is no completion between classmates, as in a large class with different level abilities present from other students. The hard part is getting the correct dynamics or feeling for the course when together. It can be a struggle to find the right balance for the teacher and student to work together.
Next, we can have the young learners group (ages 2-16). These students are usually self-motivated and can have fun in class with activities that help enhance learning. Something to be aware of is to make sure you nor the student are breaking rules, getting angry, or use physical punishment. Just make sure the students refrain from using their L1 language.
Fourth, we can look at Business English learners. In this type of group, the teacher does not need to know anything about business. The teacher just needs to teach general basic English. However, many issues can arise when teaching Business English learners. We may find the following issues to be prevalent in an Business English learner class: students may be tired or have schedule conflicts, which causes low attendance (they may work and then come to class); the students may have different level abilities (some may have a background with English, whereas others may be complete beginners); and students may not be motivated due to having to take the course for job requirements. To prevent boredom or disinterest try to become more interest in what your students’ occupations or job positions are. As well, keep good records and notes on each student.
Lastly, the final group is the monolingual versus multilingual learners. Monolingual learning groups are when all the students have the same language and are at the same level of learning. The disadvantage to monolingual learners is that students will try to use their natural language. However, the advantage to monolingual is that the student will have common difficulties and will be able to help each other. Multilingual learners are slightly different. Theses learners will have a variety of experiences and more exposure to the L2 language. Some disadvantages to multilingual learners are that they have no common difficulties and they usually have different ethnic backgrounds.
In the end, if the teacher can focus on the needs of these special learning groups, the students will succeed in their future pursuits. The teacher needs to learn to evaluated and pay attention to their students’ needs and the students will advance quickly and enjoy the learning experience.
