The Role of Social Environment in the Formation of Adult English Language Learners’ Attitudes to Learning English: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The present small-scale study aims to serve two purposes. Firstly, it maps the interrelationship of adult EFL learners’ attitudes and motivations to learning English and those of their social environment. Secondly, it attempts to describe the validation procedure of a questionnaire highlighting the possible difficulties of data collection researchers might need to face. The sample comprised 53 adult English language learners studying English at language school courses in Budapest. The courses were aimed at the general public and not specifically geared for companies. The central finding of the research is that the attitudes and motivations of the social environment do exert a strong influence on those of adult non-company course language learners in which the teacher, friends, workplace, and the language school play an essential part. The results also indicate that the attitude of language schools towards learners’ learning English have a detrimental influence on adult language learners’ attitudes to learning English.