TYPES OF LEARNER
A Complete List
Brian Knight

DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEARNER
a) Age
a. infants / pre-school
b. children / primary
c. adolescents / secondary
d. late teens / late secondary / young adults
e. adults

b) Needs
a. exams (language / school / university)
b. business groups (general / ESP / company requirements / job prospects)
c. vocational training (ESP / technical / professional)
d. pre-university groups (EAP / study skills)
e. general English (hobby / travel / social)
f. cultural (TESL / integration into new culture)
g. remedial

c) Levels
a. absolute beginners
b. false beginners
c. elementary
d. pre-intermediate
e. intermediate (lower / upper)
f. advanced (at this level differing needs become more obvious.
It is difficult to pre-judge and teaching tends to follow a series of diagnosis > response cycles, rather than a pre-set syllabus)
g. illiterate / impaired (visual / aural / oral)
h. mixed levels

d) Nationalities
a. monolingual
b. multilingual
c. groups of nationalities whose 2nd official language is English
d. mixed cultures

e) Learning strategies
a. the holistic or natural learner.
This is a person who is content to expose him/herself to the language and learn what comes.
The student who is relaxed when he/she does not completely understand the language being presented.
b. the serialist or analytic learner.
This is a person who learns bit by bit and builds it up.
The student who is frustrated at being presented with language he/she does not completely understand.

Learners are probably a combination of both, depending on the situation.
Within these 2 "natural" learning strategies there are several "imposed" strategies:
Graded record keeping of lessons
Good organisation of notes
Use of resources (both in and out of the institute)
Step-by-step building of skills
Vocabulary cards, etc.

f) Motivational factors
a. instrumental motivation.
For survival or a specific need. Most TEFL teaching is to instrumentally-motivated students.
b. integrative motivation.
For those who want to integrate into a culture.
These first 2 terms come from bi-lingual research in Canada and it has been argued that they are not applicable to TEFL students.
c. intrinsic motivation.
From within the student. His/her own personal goals.
d. extrinsic motivation.
External motivational factors. Exams, teacher's points, peer pressure, etc.
Most students are probably motivated by a combination of c. and d.