The other side of the joy to begin the study of a new language: data from the failure and dropout rate among learners

Abstract

The process of learning a new language as an adult, particularly in the initial stages, is frequently characterized by favorable expressions of affection and not less by negative manifestations of discouragement, disappointment and dropout. The present paper presents data and interprets them concerning the reasons for failure and drop out of adult students in the first levels of private English courses and the effects that these factors have over the learners and the learning/teaching process. In the data collection non-structured interviews were carried out and recorded in two phases. After the first interview, their content was analyzed and, some months later the researcher revisited the interviewees, who could listen to their previous interview and read the analysis carried out, having the opportunity to express their opinion about the analysis and to add other factors they hadn't mentioned before. The eleven interviewees presented a variety of factors that according to them caused their failure and drop out. The results of the present research allowed the detection of a series of factors responsible for failure and drop out of students, whose negative effects extensively discussed in this essay.