Job Discussion Forums

[jerrycomo]

I'm curious.

[johntpartee]

Children Pros: They're less shy about speaking. They respond better to a raised voice and an angry look when they're out of line.

Children Cons: They forget the raised voice and the angry look quickly and you have to keep doing it. Sometimes the parents insist on being there and "helping".

[Glenski]

Teaching adults.

Pros.
Some may have a good idea of what they want out of a lesson.
Topics of discussion can be easier to discuss sometimes.
Some may be more able to pay for the lessons than younger people.

Cons.
Some have no idea what they want out of a lesson.
Some only want socialization.
Some could be quite fossilized in what they already know.

[Kebin]

I'll bite.

Teens pros:

- You're generally able to have conversations with them, however limited, and you'll learn a great deal about the local culture.
- They're not rowdy. (At least they aren't here in Korea because they're so beat from the millions of hours of school they do every day.)
- You'll actually feel like a teacher. It's not a babysitting job, which teaching small kids can sometimes turn into.

Teens cons:

- They can be depressed and sullen and totally unwilling to do any work.
- Respect for teachers decreases in direct proportion to age.
- They usually have little intrinsic motivation to learn English and are being forced to by their parents or school system.
- Creating an entertaining lesson plan can be much more difficult than for kids.