Approaches and methods currently used for teaching English to adult immigrants in the United States

Abstract

The mastery of English by immigrant adults who are in the United States is a first-order need, which must be resolved in a timely manner, since it will allow them to access better work, educational and social opportunities; Furthermore, it is a tool that facilitates their adaptation and development in this country of opportunities, all of which has a positive impact on their individual and/or collective quality of life. In this sense, this bibliographic review arose with the objective of identifying the main approaches and teaching methods used in teaching English for adult immigrants in the United States. The research design was descriptive–explanatory, approached under a qualitative approach, considering a series of publications disseminated in sources of scientific information, duly referenced. Among the results, it stands out that, The approaches on which the English teaching process can be based are traditional, naturalistic, structuralist, communicative, humanistic and CLIL. These pedagogical and methodological supports provide a series of methods that can be applied by the teacher, to guarantee that the learning of the foreign language is effective and meaningful; However, the choice of any of these foundations depends on the intended objective, the needs of the student and the characteristics of the context where the teaching takes place. As a conclusion, Learning English is a necessity for children, adolescents and adults, regardless of sex, social condition or cultural relevance, consolidating itself as a personal challenge that significantly improves their ability to adapt and interact in a given context, at a social level, professional, educational and work.