UNIT 14 LEARNER NEEDS

 

LEARNER NEEDS

Learners’ needs are divided into three main groups; first, personal needs based on students’ goals, challenges, learning expectations in other words their personal necessity to succeed. Meanwhile, students can vary their personal needs according to the age, cultural background and interest. Second, learning needs which are the way students learn the language based on methodology or approaches used by the teacher, different topics that interested students, the use of language or skills and materials given to students. Third, professional needs which are developed when students have specific purposes to learn the language related to employment, training or education. Moreover, to meet future needs learners could enroll on courses that will vary in teaching methods and activities.

Most of the time teachers do not focus their classes on learners needs, but it is remarkably important to be aware of students’ necessities. For example, there is a class of 40 students in which the teacher finds ways of meeting some of their students ‘needs. However, there is not going to be plenty of time to know every single learners´ needs.  Indeed, the teacher must emphasize on the approaches to teaching and learning strategies to make their classes useful for students.

Additionally, adults’ learners have different needs from children. Adults have professional needs, they want to learn the language because they want to travel, study at an important university, get a new job, or new job duties. To teach these types of learner interaction patterns will be the best choice to engage students with the language. Furthermore, the only reason why adults learn the language in relation to professional needs is because they want to communicate. On the other hand, children have personal and academic needs; they want to play while learning, have a praise when they do something right. Teachers need to plan different activities and use interactive or authentic materials to keep children attention on the language just by exposure.  

  

For more information click on these sources:  

• YouTube,. (2014). Differentiated Instructional Strategies: Meeting the Diverse Needs of Learners -- 3 Graduate Credits. Retrieved 4 December 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnHXrjN_XWE
• YouTube,. (2014). Meeting your Learners' Needs. Retrieved 4 December 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMLAgXDdL0Q
• Pcrest3.com,. (2014). 3.2.6 Identifying Learner Needs. Retrieved 4 December 2014, from http://www.pcrest3.com/fgb/efgb4/3/3_2_6.htm
• YouTube,. (2014). Meeting the Needs of the Adult Learner. Retrieved 4 December 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSx7pMtnR48