EFL learning in adulthood and later life: experiences, beliefs, and context in Basque Official Language Schools

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning experiences of midlife and older adult learners enrolled in Basque Official Language Schools. It examines their motivations, learning objectives, perceived strengths and difficulties, age-related beliefs and affective experiences, together with the influence of the learning context, intergenerational classroom dynamics and educational background. The study followed a qualitative descriptive design. A total of 71 learners aged 35 to 69, enrolled in A2 and B2 (CEFR) courses, completed a questionnaire, and seven of them took part in semi-structured interviews. Questionnaire and interview responses were analysed through a two-stage thematic coding process organised around the three research questions of the study. Participants reported mainly intrinsic and practical motivations, such as cognitive stimulation, personal satisfaction, communication while travelling and access to information and entertainment, and their learning goals were generally realistic, centred on everyday communication and reading comprehension. Reading was perceived as the strongest skill, whereas listening and speaking were felt to be the most difficult. Age was viewed ambivalently, associated with memory and processing difficulties but also with maturity, experience, time and motivation. The learning context was valued as systematic and intellectually demanding, and intergenerational classrooms elicited mixed views depending on learners’ preferences. The findings suggest that EFL learning in midlife and later adulthood appears to be shaped by a combination of motivational, cognitive, affective and contextual factors, as perceived by the learners, with implications for adult language pedagogy concerning oral practice, affective support and flexible classroom organisation adapted to learners’ needs.