Involving Retired Citizens in ESL Education: Case Study of a Secondary School Program

ABSTRACT

In the contexts of population aging and English as a second language (ESL) proficiency decline in Hong Kong, a 12 weeks program that matched 15 retired citizens with 30 secondary school children who wanted to practice English outside the classroom was established. Using proficiency tests, open-ended questions, and Likert scales, this study examined the program value in terms of participants’ program experiences and performances. Results indicated that intergenerational contacts through games, activities, mutual understanding, and friendships appeared to be conducive to children’s ESL learning and relevant to retirees’ post-retirement development. Ideas on exploring ways to increase more available linguistic practice encounters while promoting active aging, and an insight on responding to intergenerational segregation are considered.

KEYWORDS:

• Intergenerational program
• ESL
• second language education
• retired citizens
• secondary schoolchildren

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank and acknowledge the reviewers’ comments which help to bring this manscript to fruition. This study is sponsored by UIC Research Grant. Last, may the second author of this article, Dr. Richard Burchett, rest in peace.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.