Helping adult learners cope with language anxiety: Focus on job searching learners of English and Dutch

Details

Supervisors

Meunier, Fanny

Faculty

Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres

Degree label

Master [120] en langues et lettres modernes, orientation germaniques, à finalité didactique

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate anxiety-reducing strategies employed by adult job-seeking learners and to understand the gap between research and practical application in this domain. The study involved 10 English and/or Dutch educators specializing in instructing job seekers, with interviews serving as the primary data collection method. The researcher conducted a thorough analysis of the data, identifying similarities and comparing them with the existent literature. The findings suggest that the interviewed educators predominantly employ strategies aligned with those documented in existing literature. However, some strategies employed by the educators diverge from the established literature, including oral presentations, fostering interaction among individuals with different social statuses, and grouping learners of varying proficiency levels together. Additionally, the participants introduced new strategies such as one-on-one conversations, interpersonal familiarity, humor, and simple tasks at the beginning. These results provide a valuable resource for professionals engaged in the instruction of job-seeking adult learners of English and Dutch. Subsequent research could be beneficial, particularly in exploring the dynamics of social diversity within groups, designing groups that accommodate learners with varying proficiency levels, and assessing the impact of oral presentations.

Citations

• APA

Hacha, R. (2024). Helping adult learners cope with language anxiety: Focus on job searching learners of English and Dutch. https://dial-mem.test.bib.ucl.ac.be/handle/2078.2/37232