UNIT 14

 Learner needs

   This unit describes about the needs that learners have for learning a foreign language. Those needs can be personal such as need for praise (the state of being approved or admired), learning needs such as need to become fluent and use the language accurately or adult learners’ needs that can be for using a foreign language in their professional lives.

    Here we have two categories of learners needs. The first, is kinds of needs, it could be personal, the desire that every learner has to learn a different language from their mother tongue. They will want to use the language to travel to a different country so they will feel secure and confident when communicating with foreigners. For their future professional lives learner need some specific vocabulary and grammar, specific language functions that can be used at certain situations, etc. The second category is reason for needs which includes their age, gender, cultural background, motivation and personality. So, here learners usually relate their past language experience, learning goals and expectations for the skill and knowledge their get as well as improve through time.

    Therefore, teachers need to know the learners need in order to successfully guide their students. They have to prepare classes according to the students’ needs and reasons for learning. There should be a lot of activities that will help students to develop their writing, speaking, reading and listening skills. It can be done by choosing suitable materials as well as suitable topics, by setting up lots of interaction patterns, asking students to work as a whole class, in groups, pairs or individually and giving them possitive feedback on their performance. For adults’ learners there should be lots of problem-based learning activities, discussions, role plays, etc. and all those activities have to be focused on the use of language for specific reasons.

Click on those links to see more information about Leaner needs:

·         Ure S.  (199), Developing leaners’ needs

http://www.languageswithoutlimits.co.uk/sharedneeds.html

·         Sockalingam N. (2012) Faculty Focus. Understanding Adults learners’ needs

http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/understanding-adult-learners-needs/