This presentation links the concept of vicarious participation to current research into older language learners. Older learner are shown to be significantly more likely to listen to recorded tutorial interaction than younger learners. They report highly agentive learning behaviours and perceived benefits for motivation and language development.
Over the years, studies of older learners have focused on deficits that occur with cognitive aging, while difficulties with second language speech comprehension are also well documented (Seright, 1985; Schleppegrell, 1987, Lenet et al., 2011). Interestingly, studies have also found that older learners may benefit from linguistic redundancy and from incidental rather than rule-based learning (Stine and Wingfield 1987, Pfenninger and Singleton, 2017). Bellingham, Benson and Nunan (2005) perceive advantages for older learners in terms of prior knowledge, self-discipline and time. These findings are relevant to the mixed-method study of mature adult learners' vicarious participation in online language tutorials, which is the subject of this presentation.
Exploring the use of recorded interactive group tutorials by distance language learners (n=977) revealed a highly significant effect for age. Older learners, who have access to live and recorded tutorials, are more likely to listen to recorded tutorial interaction than younger learners. The effect is independent of other factors and applies equally to retired learners as well as those in full-time work. Previously, vicarious participation has been studied with young learners in university settings and pointed to deep learning gains and possible advantages for vicarious learners who have more attentional resources at their disposal than direct participants (Ohta, 2001; Lee, 2005; Mayes, 2015).
In line with Ware et al.'s (2017) findings that many older learners return to the classroom with excitement, the 13 interview participants in the qualitative element of this study (aged 40-72) report highly agentive and motivated learning behaviours as well as perceived benefits of tutorial recordings related to extended exposure to target language interactions, vicarious participation through self-directed speech and alignment with live participants. This is relevant to the increasing number of older learners pursuing language study, for example in MOOCs (Massive open online courses) and, more generally, to research into ageing and language learning.
