A Study on the Model of English Learning Motivation Types among Adult Learners

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study explores the diverse motivational profiles of adult learners engaging in English education within the context of Korean lifelong education institutions. As lifelong learning systems expand through policy initiatives such as the LiFE (Lifelong Education at Universities for the Future of Education) project, understanding the nuanced motivations of adult learners has become a critical task for curriculum designers and educational policymakers. Drawing on recent Korean research conducted between 2020 and 2025, this study synthesizes literature, national reports, and policy documents to develop a theoretical typology of English learning motivation among adult learners.
Through document analysis and comparative synthesis, five core motivational factors are identified: career advancement, identity expansion, self-fulfillment, confidence recovery, and family/community engagement. These factors are then used to construct four composite learner types: Strategic Career-Oriented Learners, Aspirational Mobility Learners, Reflective Self-Actualizers, and Restorative Confidence Learners. Each type is distinguished by unique life circumstances, goals, and affective needs, with implications for differentiated instructional approaches.
This research proposes that learner motivation in lifelong English education is multidimensional, context-sensitive, and deeply embedded in socio-emotional and institutional realities. The typology serves not only as a conceptual model but also as a tool for informing adult-friendly policy, modular curriculum design, and inclusive assessment. Although limited by the absence of field-based empirical data, the study provides a grounded framework for future quantitative validation and targeted program development in Korea’s expanding lifelong education ecosystem.