This study aims to investigate the English language learning experiences of students enrolled in the English course at a Public Education Center. Through this investigation, the study also aims to elicit students' prior English language learning experiences and explore factors that positively or negatively affected their knowledge of and attitudes toward English. The study employed a phenomenological qualitative design and collected data through students' written accounts (n=16) and individual interviews (n=10). Data were subjected to content analysis methods and excerpts were utilized to demonstrate the participants' views regarding their experiences. While data obtained from written accounts revealed the main themes of "student-related factors facilitating learning", "teacher-related factors facilitating learning", "unrealized opportunities for English improvement", and "regrets about unfulfilled potential", data obtained from the interviews included the themes of "motivation for being enrolled in an English course" "previous English learning experiences", "current English-learning experience", and "study habits facilitating learning". This study showed that most students' subtractive prior schooling experiences caused them to develop negative attitudes about learning English, yet their motivation to learn English led them to seek opportunities to improve their knowledge of English in a different setting even years after schooling and helped them gain positive experiences and attitudes.
Duygu İşpınar Akçayoğlu (Tue,) studied this question.