Mikhaylova E.R., Getskina I.B. Personal Maturity of Adult Learners as the Factor of Motivation to Study Foreign Languages

Abstract: The article states the results of studying the personal maturity of adult learners and the features of their motivation to study foreign languages. The purpose of this work is to reveal the characteristics of personal maturity which are closely correlated with the level of motivation to study, and as a consequence to increase the effectiveness of teaching process. This research is very urgent as, on the one hand, it is necessary to improve the pedagogical effectiveness of teaching foreign languages of adult learners because cross-cultural interaction and international contacts between different states and nationalities are expanding today in the modern world. On the other hand, the issue of motivation to study foreign languages by adult learners has been studied insufficiently, there are practically no andragogical recommendations in the academic literature regarding how to teach foreign languages. To solve these tasks the authors of the article used different personal maturity tests developed by foreign psychologists and scientists of our country such as Yury Gilbukh's personal maturity inventory, self-actualization SAT test, Arthur Reana's and Vladimir Yakunin's questionnaire. To analyze the compared variables, the authors have applied the standard mathematical method of correlation analysis which is based on the calculation of Pearson correlation coefficient. The scientific novelty is caused by the fact that the authors conduct an empirical study of the relationshp between motivation to study demonstrated by adults and the level of their personal maturity (which, according to the authors, is the factor of their 'maturity'). The reasearch revealed a certain correlation between the motivation to study by adult learners and the level of their personal maturity. On the basis of these results, it is possible to give recommendations to teachers concerning the ways to increase the motivation to study foreign languages by adult learners.

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