Aging and voice: transformative English learning as identity reclamation in later life

This qualitative study explores how older adult learners engage with English learning as a medium for identity reclamation, agency, and personal fulfilment after retirement. Using semi-structured interviews and reflective journals with fifteen participants, the study employs thematic narrative analysis to examine learners’ experiences through the lenses of Mezirow’s transformative learning theory and narrative identity theory. Findings reveal that English learning facilitates the reclamation of voice, the re-authoring of life stories, and the imaginative construction of alternative selves, while reflection, dialogue, and social interaction act as critical mechanisms of identity transformation. Participants describe English learning as a multidimensional process encompassing cognitive, emotional, and relational dimensions that foster confidence, social engagement, and existential growth. The study contributes to lifelong learning scholarship by demonstrating how language functions as both a symbolic and practical medium for self-transformation in later life and provides practical implications for designing identity-affirming adult education programs. Limitations and directions for future research, including cross-cultural, longitudinal, and intergenerational investigations, are discussed.