Student-teacher communication preferences in Taiwanese older learners

Abstract

ABSTRACT The role of teacher-student communication in enhancing the learning experience of older learners has received limited attention. This sociolinguistic study addresses this gap by examining the perspectives on this issue held by Taiwanese older learners. Survey data from 231 Taiwanese older learners were analyzed using ANOVA and independent-samples t-tests, with the aim of establishing how their age ranges and occupational backgrounds influenced their concordance teacher communication strategies found in existing literature. While teachers were reported to assume that older learners from elite backgrounds preferred more communication accommodation in class, this study’s results indicated that those with no work experience or who identified as farmers demanded greater respect, flexibility, and diversity of language codes. Age was also significantly correlated with learners’ communication preferences, with those aged 76+ requiring more extensive accommodations than their younger counterparts did.