Age and other variables affecting rate of learning in adult foreign language

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of age and other individual factors in the rate of learning of two groups of adult learners of English as a foreign language. Participants were 65 Catalan-Spanish bilinguals with L2 French, who started learning English as an L3 after 18 years old. One group (N=51) had 200 hours of instruction, and the other group (N=14) 416. Participants took four tests: a cloze, a dictation, a grammar multiple choice test and a listening comprehension test. In correlation analyses, no general relationship between age and test scores was observed. When data were disaggregated for Group A, a t-test comparing two sub-samples with a cut-off point set at 24 years old yielded moderately significant mean differences in the listening scores, favourable to the younger age group. Another three variables yielded moderately significant correlation coefficients for Group A. Stepwise regression analysis reinforced the role played by L1 literacy and proficiency in previous foreign language, while excluding motivation. For Group B, only motivation reached a strong positive correlation with dictation and listening scores. Results suggest that in formal L2 contexts, variables affecting the learning rate of adults may vary as the student progresses towards ultimate attainment. Pedagogical implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.