CONFERENCEhttps://doi.org/10.22364/htqe.2026.09 | 152-166 | PDF
Case Study of Adult Learners’ English Language Learning After the Restoration of Lithuania’s Independence
Toma Naumčiuk1
1 University of Latvia, Latvia
Abstract
Research into English-language use in Lithuania following the restoration of independence in 1990 is important for understanding the historical factors that shaped the development of English proficiency among the Lithuanian population. In particular, examining foreign-language education during the Soviet period can help explain why many individuals who received their schooling before 1990 subsequently had limited opportunities to develop and use English. As sources documenting Soviet-era language education become increasingly scarce, oral testimonies from individuals who experienced this educational system provide valuable first-hand evidence of language-learning practices and experiences that may otherwise remain undocumented. Such accounts can also contribute to a better understanding of the linguistic experiences of the Soviet generation and their implications for subsequent generations in Lithuania and the wider Baltic region. Therefore, this study draws on a review of relevant literature and four semi-structured interviews conducted in Panevėžys, Lithuania. The participants comprised three older adults and one working-age adult who were born in the Soviet Union and had studied English at school prior to the restoration of Lithuanian independence in 1990. The interview data indicate that English-language instruction in the participants’ schools was generally characterised by limited opportunities for practical language use and teaching approaches that did not sufficiently develop communicative competence. Overall, the findings suggest that the limited English proficiency reported by participants can be associated with several interconnected factors, including the relatively limited availability of qualified English teachers, pedagogical approaches that prioritised formal language knowledge over communicative practice, and the limited practical relevance of English in the Soviet-era linguistic environment. In particular, the dominant position of Russian in education, employment, and travel, combined with the limited relevance of English in participants’ everyday lives at the time, further restricted opportunities to use and develop English.
Keywords: adult learners, Baltic countries, English language, English language usage, Restoration of Lithuania’s independence, Soviet Union, or generating research findings. All suggestions were critically reviewed by the authors, who take full responsibility for the final manuscript.
In: Human, Technologies and Quality of Education, 2026. Proceedings of Scientific Papers = Cilvēks, tehnoloģijas un izglītības kvalitāte, 2026. Rakstu krājums. Ed. L. Daniela. Riga: University of Latvia, 2026. 236 p.
ISBN 978-9934-36-685-7
https://doi.org/10.22364/htqe.2026