| Adult English-as-a-second-language (ESL) students have different needs and confront many difficulties when trying to become proficient English speakers. Experts in the field have called for research in second-language learning that takes into consideration the perspectives of the learners. This research addressed this problem by focusing on adult Hispanic ESL students who immigrated to the United States more than three years ago. A single case study research methodology---semi-structured interviews---was used in this study. The interviews was conducted with Hispanic adults who have acquired fluency in the English language despite the fact that they started studying the language after puberty, the age at which learning a new language can be a challenge. The results of this study indicated that motivation, attitude, length of exposure, and interaction in and outside the classroom with teachers, friends, co-workers and family members all played a role in the acquisition of proficiency in English in Hispanic adult ESL students. |
