Abstract
HAYAT BOYU ÖĞRENME KAPSAMINDA ORTA YAŞLI BELARUSLU KADINLARIN TÜRKÇE ÖĞRENME MOTİVASYONLARI
Due to Belarus's proximity to many European countries and its historical experiences under the rule of Baltic Slavic tribes, the Kievan Rus', the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Russian Empire, and the Soviet Union, the use of foreign languages has become widespread throughout the country. For this reason, most Belarusians are bilingual at minimum. Across the country, women show more interest in learning foreign languages than men and tend to be more successful in doing so. It can be said that among middle-aged Belarusian women, apart from European and Slavic languages, Turkish is one of the most popular foreign languages. While Chinese is becoming increasingly popular among the youth, middle-aged women hesitate to learn Chinese due to its complex writing system. Moreover, Belarusian women do not learn foreign languages solely to communicate with people from other nations. Valuing individual living and personal cultural development, many Belarusian women also pursue language learning as a way to prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s and to keep their memory active.
This study focuses on the motivations for learning Turkish among eighteen Belarusian women aged between 36 and 69. Motivation, which is a force that drives an individual to act (Ryan & Deci, 2000), is one of the key factors that initiates and sustains the language learning process. The study aims to explore how participants perceive social, cultural, and individual factors during the language learning process and how these perceptions influence their motivation. The findings indicate that social relationships and cultural elements play a significant role in the participants’ language learning journeys. Nearly all participants expressed that their desire to establish a connection with Turkey, as well as past or current relationships with Turkish men, has strengthened their motivation to learn Turkish.
Keywords
Key Words: Lifelong learning, language motivation, Belarusian women, Turkish language, middle age, c
