I. Definition of Adult Education What is adult education? Some people say that all kinds of education provided for adults are adult education. This definition cannot be said to be wrong, but it is not entirely correct. This is an incomplete and unscientific interpretation. According to this view, can it be considered that copying the system, concept, connotation and methods of general education to adults is adult education? I don't think so. Adult education is an extremely strict scientific concept, which has its own purpose, connotation, essential characteristics and laws. It is divided into two different educational categories and two educational systems different from general education. The essential characteristics of adult education are determined by the object of education-adults. Adult education can be understood as the process of guiding education in an adult way. Adults are mature people and experienced people. Adult means maturity and experience. Patterson believes that adulthood means a kind of social identity and status, which covers certain social responsibilities. Knowles uses "social maturity" to judge whether a person is an adult. He believes that when a person's social maturity reaches a certain level and can assume certain social responsibilities, he can be regarded as an adult. In other words, when a person enters adulthood, it means that his self-awareness and the cognition of others are recognized, that is, he has reached a certain social maturity. And this level is suitable for the adult identity of the society in which it lives. From the perspective of pedagogy, when we say that a person enters adulthood, it means that his cognitive ability and learning ability have reached a mature level. For example, we can use experience to recognize things around us and guide the learning process. Knowles has compared adult students with children students and pointed out that there are great differences between them. First of all, he thinks that adults are self-learners. From the psychological point of view, adults refer to people who can independently guide and control their own behaviors and activities. Therefore, adults' self-study ability should be considered when formulating and implementing education plans. Secondly, adult students are people with life experience and work experience, which enhances their cognitive ability. Experience is an important resource for adult learning. Third, adults learn actively. Adults learn with motivation to solve problems in work and life. The purpose of learning is quite clear and the attitude of learning is quite positive. Its learning effect is obviously better than that of children. Knowles put forward the adult teaching method. To sum up, I think the concept of adult education should be defined according to these characteristics of adults: the educational process undertaken by people with adult characteristics. This is the fundamental difference between adult education and general education. Knowles pointed out: Adult education has at least three meanings. First of all, this is a learning process for adults. Second, it is a set of activities organized by some institutions to achieve certain educational goals. Third, it is the first field of social practice. Second, the characteristics of adult education Adult education is an integral part of the lifelong education system. It is a perfect interdependent relationship with general education. Together, they constitute an organic education system, that is, a lifelong education system.