Ten years ago, the United Nations estimated that there were over 860 million illiterate adults in the world. Over 570 million were believed to be women.

The UN defines “illiteracy” as the ‘’inability to read and write a simple message in any language”.

This year, the illiteracy dilemma is even more devastating. The evidence that Illiteracy has reached epidemic proportions globally is irrefutable. Research shows that illiteracy is a major contributor to poverty, national unemployment, child labor, trafficking in women and children, infant mortality, the spread of deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDS, as well as to the deprivation and violation of basic human rights.

Every nation in the world has an illiteracy problem that ranges from being a major social issue to a plague-like situation that remains neither contained or abated.

While children are usually the victims of interest, the escalating number of illiterate adults is also of grave concern. Children love to learn but the task of teaching illiterate adults is rarely an easy one.

However, knowing the benefits for the mature learner and the positive consequences for a child or a family of just one father or mother becoming literate makes the effort that is required so worthwhile.

If you are a teacher or a tutor of adult learners remember:

1. Adult learners like to begin courses with an overview. They usually want to know what a course entails and what is expected of them.
2. Adult learners like to have a forward summary of what a session is about.
3. Adult learners need to have it explained at the outset how the teaching process will operate and be given the opportunity for discuss the procedure.
4. Adult learners prefer to be taught by a method they already know. They often need to be convinced that new methods will work for them.
5. Adult learners often prefer to learn in a lecture formatway. Many are not used to participating in groups.
6. Adult learners may prefer the auditory, sit and listen approach. It is safer, less threatening and limits personal exposure.
7. Adult learners can easily be scared of and by new, unknown methods.
8. Adult learners appreciate written instructions and on-going explanations.
9. Adult learners need to believe that what they are learning is going to be useful to them and that the course is relevant to their daily lives and needs.
10. Adult learners sometimes find it difficult to approach a new task with an open mind.
11. Adult learners sometimes hold concepts and attitudes that have to be unlearned.
12. Adult learners can find that skills transfer is difficult as they can be set in their own ways.
13. Adult learners often put importance on finding the right answer at the first attempt.
14. Adult learners sometimes find it difficult to acknowledge that they have made a mistake.
15. Adult learners appreciate the real thing. They don’t like artificial examples, e.g. cardboard coins.
16. Adult learners like to know what they are going to do session by session and to recap.
17. Adult learners like to know why.
18. Adult learners are interested as to “who’s who” in the group.
19. Adult learners are quickly aware if tutors are unprepared or not across their subject.
20. Adult learners can be very conscious of what other group members think of them.

A TEACHER-TUTOR SHOULD:

1. Know the names of each adult learner.
2. Have a warm personality and is able to show approval and acceptance.
3. Have social skills to weld a group together.
4. Be encourage learner-participation and generate ideas.
5 Have the skill to discern learning difficulties and propose effective solutions.
6 Develop good eye contact when teaching.
7 Have varied voice inflection.
8 Have an animated, vibrant demeanor.
9 Be able to become transparent in a group and not always be the center of attention.
10. Develop mobility and is able to move around and be involved.
11 Be fair, not selective in praise or criticism.
12 Be not too distant physically, yet not “in the face” of students.
13 Be able to teach at different levels of ability.
14. Be prepared to admit it if a mistake is made.
15. Be part of the learning process not always the centre of it.

In May 2009, a number of the English is Power columns centered on the issue of adult illiteracy.

Some keen Manila Bulletin readers have recently asked about the important task of teaching and tutoring illiterate adults. Email contact@4Sliteracy.com.au and they will be sent copies of the previous
articles.

Next week: English Is Power will begin a series about Wrongly Used Verbs.

(To obtain a free copy of Pronouncing Nouns and Verbs Correctly from the 4S-AEP Help Desk send an e-mail to contact@4Sliteracy.com.au)