Influence of Mother Tongue on Acquisition of English Language in the 21st Century and Implication for Adult Learners

This study examined the influence of mother tongue on acquisition of English language in the 21st century and its likely implications for adult learners. The study adopted ‘PRECEDE Theory’ as its theoretical framework, descriptive cross-sectional design, and simple random sampling technique which was utilized in selecting 50 consenting adult English language instructors from Ibadan Metropolis. Research questions were analyzed using content analysis. Findings show that there are factors influencing the rise of English Language in the 21st century, influence of mother tongue on acquisition of English Language in the 21st century affects adult learners. It was recommended that suitable English language teaching
and learning materials, as well as a conducive learning environment for acquisition of English language by adult learners be provided by the Federal and various State governments in Nigeria and beyond.

Keywords: Adult Learners, English Language, Mother tongue, Implication, 21st century.