Abstract:

While much is known about the characteristics of adult learners and even adult learners in online and distance education settings, very little CALL research is focused on online self-instructed learners, and even fewer studies focus on learners of less commonly taught languages (LCTLs), for whom traditional or even distance education instruction may not be an option. Among this scarce research, there have been no studies that have described the characteristics of learners who opt to study LCTLs through self-instruction online. The present research begins to fill this void of information by investigating self-instructed learners using online resources for one LCTL, Macedonian. Findings regarding the age, educational background, experience with and level of comfort with learning languages online distinguish the group of Macedonian self-instructed online learners from other populations learning online. The primarily integrative reasons for studying Macedonian and the lack of other resources that force learners into choosing the online medium are also outlined. Knowing the characteristics of learners in self-instructed informal contexts, such as the one in the study, is necessary in order to be able to provide appropriate support and to design effective materials and resources to meet the needs of these and similar learners.

Author: Biljana Belamaric Wilsey