Exploring factors that constrain Chinese adults learning EAL in the workplace.

摘要

The phenomenon of China learning English has drawn considerable attention from teachers, researchers, and educators around the world. Much has been written by both Chinese and Western scholars about all school levels, and even more about the passive Chinese learner in institutional settings. However, very little is known about how Chinese adult learners acquire English in the workplace environment, which is of vital importance to the country's on-going economic and social development. Using a qualitative research paradigm, this study explores how interviewed subjects perceive the learning needs and difficulties faced by EAL (English-as-an-additional-Language) learners in the workplace. The data for this research project were collected using semi-structured interviews, and the researcher's personal experience from living in China. The findings confirm that Chinese adults' EAL learning in the workplace is affected by both internal and external factors that are very peculiar to recent developments in the country. They attest to the distinctive influences of the larger Chinese culture, of these learners being adults, and of the international workplace realities in modern China. Recommendations are made for teachers and program planners to cope with some of these difficulties.