Examination of correlates of English Language Learning among Adult Learners in Borno State, Nigeria

Abstract

Language is an inevitable part of an individual’s life. It is the medium through which successful communication is carried out. Language leaning could therefore take either formal, informal or non-formal means. Learners undertaking learning programmes put efforts to learn the language because it is the medium of instruction. However, several factors determine language learning which consequently affect the language skills of the speaker. This study is therefore an attempt to evaluate the factors associated with English Language Learning among Adult Learners in Borno State, Nigeria. Consequently, three objectives and hypotheses were formulated and tested respectively by the researcher.  Of the 238 adult literacy centres in the State, 24 (12 male literacy centres and 12 female adult literacy centres) were randomly selected by lot with four centres representing each group selected. The sample consisted of 298 adult learners made up of 196 male learners and 102 female adult learners in the 24 literacy centres. Four research instruments were used to collect data for this study. These are: i) Learners Social Learning Environment Questionnaire ii) Mental Ability Test iii) Instructors Teaching and Centre’s Quality Questionnaire and iv) Reading Ability Scale. The findings in this study revealed there was significant relationship between reading ability and each of the variables i.e. mental ability, center quality, social learning environment and instructors’ teaching quality in the state. There was a significant relationship between English reading ability index and predictor variables. And there was no significant relationship between male and female English language literacy learners reading ability in the state. Based on the findings, appropriate recommendations were made.

Keywords: Correlates, Examination, English Language, Adult learners, Language, Gender