Resumen de Methodological guide to facilitate the learning of English in middle-aged adults.
Sarah Jacqueline Iza Pazmiño, Lorena Monserrat Meléndez Escobar
This research was held at the Language Centre of the Technical University of Ambato, it is aimed at middle-aged adult students of English Program. A lot of discussion and investigations have been done about methodologies and strategies exclusively for young students. However, adults have not been taken into account.This particular group of learners are in repetition phase or last enrollment, and some of them have dropped out to the English program. Besides, teachers must comply a strict planning in time and contents, which becomes discriminatory for learners with difficulties of learning. Some teachers think that working with adults delays the regular progress of teaching.In spite of legal basis, which assure equality in access to education for everybody. It happens for people with special educational needs associated or not to disabilities. In this university, adults are not part of this consideration.The goal of this investigation is to promote a different alternative of learning English for adults of middle age. At the same time: to raise the awareness about the importance of inclusive education. Also, to associate Andragogy to the methodologies that respect rhythms of adults, through the curricular adaptations. And, to provide teachers methodological strategies to work with adult learners.The author`s teaching experience was a starting point for gathering information from a year ago. Given that there were no specific data on adults of middle aged studying at the Language Centre of the University. First, forms for students were created to record data, and a questionnaire was applied to determine students` level of satisfaction with their English learning. In addition, a survey was applied to English teachers to analyze about the methodological processes used to guide students` learning middle-aged adults. At the same time, explorations of texts and digital pages about the subject were made.The reliable results, allowed to design a guide of methodological strategies to offer a different alternative of learning for adults in the English program. It will give teachers the opportunity to improve their teaching process through curricular adaptations. Also, they can use mental gymnastics to stimulate learning of adults of middle-aged.
