ACQUISITION OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE IN ADULT LEARNERS: A CASE OF ADULT LEARNERS IN LITERACY CENTRES IN IMENTI-NORTH SUB-COUNTY, MERU COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

ABSTRACT The adult education programme in Kenya is meant to improve literacy levels (reading and writing skills) as well as numeracy skills. There is need for adult learners to learn English as a second language and use it in their daily lives. Adult learners encounter a unique set of challenges in their lives and in their efforts to learn English as a second language. Some of these challenges include; first language influence, lack of prior linguistic experience, age, lack of confidence, anxiety and difficulties in the mastery of content. This study investigated the learning of English as a second language in adult post-literacy level learners, in the adult literacy centres in Imenti-North Sub-County, Meru County, Kenya. The post-literacy programme is a part of continuing education that provides opportunities for adults and out-of school youths to retain, improve and apply basic educational skills for personal, community and national development. The objectives of the study were: to interrogte factors that influence English language learning in adult learners; to examine the influence of these factors on adult learners’ performance in English language, to explore the teaching strategies used to enhance learning of English by the adult learners, and to establish measures to improve learning of English by adult learners. The theories used in this study were; the Krashen’s Monitor Model theory that was used to describe the process of second language acquisition and the Error Analysis theory by S.P. Corder which was used to analyse the adult learners’ errors in their written work. The study utilised the Descriptive Research Design. Research was carried out in Imenti-North Sub-County, Kenya. The target population comprised 340 adult learners in the nine adult centres. A sample size of 60 adult learners from the Post Literacy Programme Level and 9 adult English instructors each from every centre were purposively chosen. The post literacy programme level learners were purposively chosen because English is used as a medium of instruction at this level and also studied as a subject. The nine adult English instructors were also purposively chosen on the basis of the fact that they teach English to the adult learners. Data was collected by the use of a questionnaire for adult learners, an interview schedule for adult instructors and an essay writing test for adult learners. The validity and reliability of the instruments were established through a pilot study and the input of experts in the area under study. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics which included frequency tables and percentages. The study established that there are factors that affect second language acquisition in adult learners. These factors contribute to poor performance in English language skills by adult learners as portrayed by the errors in their written work. The errors identified were Interlingual and intralingual errors. The study further found out that teaching strategies also affect acquisition of English language skills among the adult learners. The study recommends that adult English instructors should give learning tasks that are practical, comprehensible and must be relevant to important issues in the adult lives. Since adults frequently feel rather insecure in their position as students, teachers should provide support and encouragement when asking them to take risks or try new language skills. The study further recommends that the government allocates more funds to the Directorate of Adult Education for the purchase of instructional resources in the learning centres, promote literacy surveys and curriculum development that meet the needs of adult and continuing adult learners. The findings of this study will immensely benefit scholars in applied linguistics, second language pedagogy, policy makers and curriculum developers of language in designing learning materials.