Young and Adult Learners in Acquire Foreign Language

Acquire new language as foreign language is a complex learning process. Learners need to memorize, analysis, comperhand, and pratice the new information about the language, so teachers need to have strategy for teach the new language. One of strategy, teachers must teach with understand student ability focus on age which there are two dominant group age that are young learners and adult learners. So in this case, teachers as instructor need to understand what are similarity and difference between young learners and adult learners.

            Young learners and adult learners are different in several aspect. First young learners easy to acquiring new language than adult learners such as acquire new vocabulary because in this time their speech organ more flexible and their language cognitive more strongge. Then in their attention, young learners have short attention than adult learners. Teachers should increase young learners attention with attract their and make short time in class. In adult learners, they have personal interest and academic motivation for their attention. Then, young learners have short time visual memory so they will forget some information quickly, but for adult learners; they have strategy for long time memory. The. n in self conciousness, young learners do something with un conciosness so they never feel nerveous and afraid to do something. In contrast adult learners have more consideration to do something so they often nerveous and afraid to do something. Finaly, young learners have lack extrinsix motivation that is they just use personal interest in study but for adult leaners they have life oriented for study.

                 Although the young learners and adult learners are different, there is one the         similarity both of them. Young and adult learners are same in needing reward in every their effort for motivate them. The reward can be obvious and un obvious depend teachers ability. The obvious reward, we can give nice gift or present, but the reward is not recommended because learners the effect of reward just a while. The un obvious reward is recommended because it can be long effect for learners. In this reward, Teachers can be give praise such “ good, excellent, brilliant, and so on”.

                   For conclude, young learners and adult learners have significant difference and little similarity in language learning. . Teachers have not worry in the difference and similarity because teachers need to understand every difference and similarity for considere appropiate strategy in teaching. Good teachers never the age asoect because the age aspect and the characteristic are most important in teaching and learning especially for teachers.

By Anton Afrianto

SEKOLAH TINGGI AGAMA ISLAM NEGERI BUKITTINGGI