Language fundamentally defines and distinguishes us as humans, as members of society, and as individuals. As we go through life, our relationship with language and with learning shifts and changes, but it remains significant. This book is an up-to-date resource for graduate students and researchers in second language (L2) acquisition who are interested in language learning across the lifespan. The main goal is to survey and evaluate what is known about the linguistic-cognition-affect associations that occur in L2 learning from birth through senescence (passing through the stages of childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and third age), the extent to which L2 acquisition may be seen as contributing to healthy and active aging, the impact of the development of personalized, technology-enhanced communicative L2 environments, and how these phenomena are to be approached scientifically and methodologically. The effects of certain specific variables, such as gender, socio-economic background, and bilingualism are also analyzed, as we argue that chronological age does not determine the positioning of L2 learners across the lifespan: age is part of a complex web of social distinctions such as psychological and individual factors that intersect in the construction of a learner’s relative status and opportunities.

Whether it is earning a GED, a particular skill, or technical topic for a career, taking classes of interest, or even returning to begin a degree program or completing it, adult learning encompasses those beyond the traditional university age seeking out education. This type of education could be considered non-traditional as it goes beyond the typical educational path and develops learners that are self-initiated and focused on personal development in the form of gaining some sort of education. Essentially, it is a voluntary choice of learning throughout life for personal and professional development. While there is often a large focus towards K-12 and higher education, it is important that research also focuses on the developing trends, technologies, and techniques for providing adult education along with understanding lifelong learners’ choices, developments, and needs. The Research Anthology on Adult Education and the Development of Lifelong Learners focuses specifically on adult education and the best practices, services, and educational environments and methods for both the teaching and learning of adults. This spans further into the understanding of what it means to be a lifelong learner and how to develop adults who want to voluntarily contribute to their own development by enhancing their education level or knowledge of certain topics. This book is essential for teachers and professors, course instructors, business professionals, school administrators, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in the latest advancements in adult education and lifelong learning.

Provides theoretical understanding of the link between open and lifelong learning and online distance education. Offers a critical discussion of distance, open and lifelong learning, with a focus on new and emerging challenges of online distance education in global learning communities.

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Economic globalization, modern transportation, and advanced communication technologies have greatly enhanced the mobility of people across national boundaries. The resulting demographic, social, and cultural changes create new opportunities for development as well as new challenges for lifelong learning. Transnational Migration and Lifelong Learning examines the changing nature of lifelong learning in the current age of transnational migration. The book brings together international scholars from a range of countries in a dialogue about the relationship between work, learning, mobility, knowledge, and citizenship in the context of globalization and migration. It covers a wide range of topics, including: global perspectives and analyses of migration; the impact of migration on lifelong learning; processes of exclusion and inclusion in lifelong learning; the tension between mobility, knowledge, and recognition; and transnationalism, learning communities, and citizenship. This book was originally published as a special issue of the International Journal of Lifelong Education.

Technology- mediated language learning has matured over the past few decades, with various tools and contexts now widely used in language education for all ages and levels. Many of today’s language learners have experienced technology as an ever- present feature both within and beyond the classroom, highlighting how the role of technology has expanded into many daily activities, and underscoring how research in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) can inform and support the use of established and emerging technologies. The role of technology in language learning has continued to grow, with the recent COVID- 19 global pandemic further demonstrating the potential contributions of technology for supporting and facilitating second language development. Answering this increasing interest, this Handbook provides students, teachers, and scholars with a comprehensive collection of chapters on foundational topics and key issues related to technology, SLA, and where relevant, pedagogical applications. Chapter 25 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com

Throughout the educational industry the need to comprehend and navigate the profound transformations underway in the realm of continuing education remains a pressing challenge. As technological advancements accelerate at an unprecedented pace, traditional educational systems are being upended, leaving educators grappling with many questions. The emergence of digital technologies in education introduces a host of complex issues and opportunities. One such opportunity is the application of technologies that can address important issues and open new horizons for those that teach. > At the forefront of academic exploration and innovation is Embracing Technological Advancements for Lifelong Learning, a book of robust research covering an era where the digital revolution is reshaping education. This book brings insights into in-depth investigations of how digital technologies are transforming the landscape of continuing education. It delves deep into the strategies, resources, and best practices that organizations can harness to unlock the full potential of digital transformation. Covering a wide spectrum of issues, from e-learning platforms to virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence to mobile learning, this book is a comprehensive guide that showcases the real-world impact of digital transformation through compelling case studies and actionable ideas.

The second edition of the International Handbook of Lifelong Learning is extensive, innovative, and international in scope, remit and vision, inviting its readers to engage in a critical re-appraisal of the theme of “lifelong learning”. It is a thorough-going, rigorous and scholarly work, with profound and wide-ranging implications for the future of educating institutions and agencies of all kinds in the conception, planning and delivery of lifelong learning initiatives. Lifelong learning requires a wholly new philosophy of learning, education and training, one that aims to facilitate a coherent set of links and pathways between work, school and education, and recognises the necessity for government to give incentives to industry and their employees so they can truly “invest” in lifelong learning. It is also a concept that is premised on the understanding of a learning society in which everyone, independent of race, creed or gender, is entitled to quality learning that is truly excellent. This book recognises the need for profound changes in education and for goals that are critically important to education, economic advancement, and social involvement. To those concerned about the future of our society, our economy and educational provision, this book provides a richly illuminating basis for powerful debate. Drawing extensively on policy analyses, conceptual thinking and examples of informed and world-standard practice in lifelong learning endeavours in the field, both editors and authors seek to focus readers' attention on the many issues and decisions that must be addressed if lifelong learning is to become a reality for us all.

A comprehensive, current review of the research and approaches to advanced proficiency in second language acquisition The Handbook of Advanced Proficiency in Second Language Acquisition offers an overview of the most recent and scientific-based research concerning higher proficiency in second language acquisition (SLA). With contributions from an international team of experts in the field, the Handbook presents several theoretical approaches to SLA and offers an examination of advanced proficiency from the viewpoint of various contexts and dimensions of second language performance. The authors also review linguistic phenomena among advanced learners through the lens of phonology and grammar development. Comprehensive in scope, this book provides an overview of advanced proficiency grounded in socially-relevant domains of second language acquisition including discourse, reading, genre-based writing, and pragmatic competence. The authoritative volume brings together the theoretical accounts of advanced language use combined with solid empirical research. Includes contributions from an international collection of noted scholars in the field of second language acquisition Offers a variety of theoretical approaches to SLA Contains information on the most recent empirical research that contributes to an understanding of SLA Describes performance phenomena according to multiple approaches to SLA Written for scholars, students and linguists, The Handbook of Advanced Proficiency in Second Language Acquisition is a comprehensive text that offers the most recent developments in the study of advanced proficiency in the acquisition of a second language.

This book examines the unique characteristics of teaching foreign languages to senior learners. It discusses the potential age-related barriers and learning difficulties which may be encountered in senior foreign language education as well as solutions to overcome these challenges. The author describes the processes of human aging from different perspectives and introduces the concept of lifelong learning. The book proposes classroom practices, activities and materials that may be adopted when working with senior learners which will prove useful to teachers and teacher trainers, as well as to educational policymakers and planners. Furthermore, it describes potential modifications to educational programmes that may be introduced in order to eliminate affective barriers, making the learning material relevant and motivating, and encouraging the use of adult learning strategies.