4 Myths and Truths About Adult English Language Learning

Volunteer teachers, tutors, and students in adult English language programs come from a variety of different backgrounds and often have misconceptions about how adults learn another language. If unaddressed, these misconceptions can lead to a deficit mindset that affects the quality of the experience of the volunteer teacher or tutor and their student(s).

In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore four common misconceptions and address them in ways that highlight the strengths of adult language learners and set participants up for optimal teaching and learning experiences.

During this workshop, participants will explore some of the most common misconceptions that volunteer English teachers, tutors and students may have when they first begin teaching or learning English. We’ll also look at some of the research behind why these misconceptions are untrue and will share how we have supported volunteers to better understand how adults learn another language. The session will feature the following common misconceptions:

1. Children are better at learning languages than adults.
2. The sooner adults start speaking, the more they learn.
3. The more time adults spend in class, the more they learn.
4. Teaching English requires proficiency in another language.