Chapter I. Methods in teaching English to adults

Prefabricated patterns are memorized chunks of language that can be found in bi lingual phrase books. Learners usually use memorized phrases for “survival” purposes where morphological components are not known to them. Code-switching is using a native language term in a foreign language sentence without bothering to translate it. Code -switching is often used by learners in early stages of acquisition. Appeal for assistance is another common compensatory strategy. If learners stuck for a particular word or phrase, they directly ask the teacher for the right form. They may also give a possible answer and then ask for verification.
We believe that by being aware of learning style in which they feel comfortable, students can improve their learning, become more motivated and get better results in the classroom. Out of the styles described in Chapter Two we contend that, Field Independent (FI) style is adult style of learning conducive to attaining success in English because mature learners prefer to acquire knowledge through experience. While teaching adults willingly refer to real events, often in an intuitive way, they like the open problems, not full y explained and the style in which the abstract thoughts are dominant. As we described in Chapter Two field -independent learners have perceptual skill of "seeing the forest for the trees. "Adults like to analyze and consider, so they will surely notice a hidden item in the picture or human face in 3 - D posters. Mature students can be considered as FI learners because they find themselves in classroom learning which involves mastering of exercises, analysis, attention on details, drills, and other focused activities. Adult students penetrate the essence of problems and situations while learning, analyze, consider and make up theories to understand their experience. That is why, we believe that Field Independent style is a typical style for learners. They like situations that are clear and definable Mature learners are learning language through social and working relationships and these relationships are an essential part of their lives. FI learning style is characterized by a tendency to separate details from the surrounding context. We are of the opinion that adults are FI learners because they have no problem to concentrate while there is noise and confusion around. They also have high motivation for learning and external factors cannot distract them from learning English. Because the learners whom we describe like to concentrate on the details while learning a language, they are sometimes unable to concentrate on a whole, big picture. That can be problematic while teaching adults. FI students perform well i n open - ended questions - this refers to adult learners who like to speak out in class because it gives them a sense that they full y participate in lesson and they are learning as effectively as possible, so that they do not have to spend their time on learning at home any longer. We believe that adults are characterized by Field Independent style because they have less difficulties with acquiring grammar, linguistic rules and are successful in common classroom exercises. They also tend to be more sensitive to external cues and easily accept symbolic representations. Strong correlation between sex and cognitive styles has been discovered. Women are more often field - dependent, while men are likely to be field -independent. Career tasks and job descriptions which are present in adults lives also have a great impact on the choice between these two styles. Researches showed that field - independent learners consistently achieve higher academic levels than learners characterized by different styles.
Selection of the most fruitful learning strategy is the key to effective English language learning. Strategies are steps taken by students to improve their own learning. “Strategies are especially important for language learning because they are tools for active, self -directed involvement, which is essential for developing communicative competence. Appropriate language learning strategies result in improved proficiency and greater self -confidence” (Oxford, 1990:1).