Assignment:
Imagine that you are tasked with an adult English as a Second Language (ESL) class with diverse learners, including:
1. A 22-year-old male Hispanic laborer recently emigrated from Mexico, who needs English to increase his pay, but who has not been to school since age 15
2. An unemployed 32-year-old single mother who is a Russian immigrant, knows both Russian and Ukrainian, has a degree in chemistry, but is anxious about taking an ESL class
3. A Chinese grandmother who speaks only Mandarin, immigrated to be closer to her daughter who married an American, but who is shy about being in class
4. A 30-year-old African taxi driver with two young children who has little time for homework
5. A 45-year-old gay musician from Haiti who is uncertain about how colleagues will regard his race and sexual orientation
You want to apply what you have learned about adult learning and development to plan for a successful learning experience.
Consider the implications of learner diversity for adult and post-secondary educators. What are your views on what implications these student characteristics would have for you as a facilitator of learning? What challenges would you face? What opportunities might present themselves?