Approximately 28% of Working Adults Respond They Want to Learn or Relearn English; Top Motivations Include "Work," "Hobbies/Interests," and "Enjoying Overseas Travel"

English, Do You Want to Learn It Again? The True Feelings of Working Adults

English, which you learned in school.

Even so, after becoming a working adult, don't you often feel like you want to learn it properly again?

When a foreigner asks for directions on the street, when you struggle with language during overseas travel, or when you want to watch your favorite movies without subtitles. The reasons for wanting to relearn English vary from person to person.

So, how many people actually want to learn English now that they are adults?

Therefore, this time, in collaboration with "Money English," an English coaching school with online English conversation, we conducted a survey targeting 500 men and women nationwide regarding "English learning after becoming an adult."

*When quoting the content of this press release, please take the following actions:*

* Indicate that the source is "Survey by NEXER Inc. and Money English." * Include a link to Money English (https://money-english.com).

Survey Overview: "Survey on English Learning After Becoming an Adult"

Survey Method: Internet-based survey

Survey Period: June 1, 2026 - June 7, 2026

Target Respondents: Men and women nationwide

Valid Responses: 500 samples

Questions:

Question 1: Now that you are a working adult, do you ever feel like you want to learn or relearn English?

Question 2: Please tell us the reasons why you feel that way.

Question 3: If you were to relearn English, what would be the trigger? (Multiple selections possible)

Question 4: What do you think are the difficulties in learning English as an adult? (Multiple selections possible)

Question 5: What do you find to be the biggest hurdle, and please explain why.

Question 6: Do you think you can improve even if you start learning English later in life?

Question 7: Please tell us the reasons why you think so.

Question 8: If you were to master English, what changes do you think would occur in your future life and experiences?

*Note: In principle, values are rounded to the second decimal place, so the total may not be 100%.

28.0% Respond That They "Want to Learn or Relearn English" as Working Adults

First, we asked working adults if they ever feel like they want to learn or relearn English.

The results showed that 7.6% "strongly feel so" and 20.4% "somewhat feel so," totaling 28.0% who have the desire to relearn English. On the other hand, 25.8% "do not really feel so" and 46.2% "do not feel so at all," indicating that over 70% are currently reluctant to relearn.

So, why do those who answered "want to learn/relearn" feel that way?

We also asked about the reasons for wanting to relearn, and here are some examples:

Reasons for Wanting to Relearn

* I want to use it when I go on overseas trips. (20s, Male) * If I could speak English when I go abroad, I could enjoy it more. (20s, Female) * Recently, I've wanted to watch movies that are only available in English. (30s, Female) * Because there are surprisingly many opportunities to be spoken to in English, such as when foreigners ask for directions on the street. (30s, Female) * I feel like my life would change if I could use it more. (40s, Female) * I want to enjoy English movies and other media without subtitles. (50s, Male)

It can be seen that concrete situations in daily life, such as "overseas travel," "movies and music," and "interactions with foreigners encountered in daily life," are the reasons for wanting to relearn English.

Rather than for work or qualifications, the desire to relearn seems to be driven by positive feelings such as "wanting to enjoy more" and "wanting to avoid trouble."

40.0% Respond That the Trigger for Relearning Would Be "When English Becomes Necessary for Work"

Next, we asked those who responded that they "want to learn or relearn English" what would be the trigger for them to do so.

The most common answer was "When English becomes necessary for work," at 40.0%.

This was followed by "When I want to broaden my hobbies and interests (movies, music, fan activities, etc.)" at 39.3%, and "When I want to enjoy overseas travel more" at 37.9%.

While work-related needs are the most frequent, reasons such as "wanting to broaden hobbies" and "wanting to enjoy overseas travel" also ranked high, with about 40% each. Relearning English is not only started out of necessity but is also considered a means to enjoy life more.

48.6% Respond That the Difficulty in English Learning is "Lack of Motivation"

Next, we asked those who responded that they "want to learn or relearn English" what they think are the difficulties in learning English as an adult.

The most common answer was "Lack of motivation," at 48.6%.

This was followed by "Not having time due to work and household chores" at 41.4%, "Not being able to feel progress or improvement" at 25.0%, and "Feeling the limits of self-study" at 22.9%.

We also asked about the biggest hurdles and their reasons, and here are some examples:

What do you find to be the biggest hurdle, and please explain why.

* I can't learn English that I can use in daily life. (20s, Female) * I don't think I can maintain my motivation. (20s, Female) * I don't know where to start. (30s, Female) * I can't find enough time, and I'm tired from taking care of my children, so I can't maintain my motivation. (30s, Female) * I don't know how much I can improve. It lowers my motivation. (30s, Male) * The cost. It's difficult to learn on my own, so I want to take lessons, but it costs money. (40s, Female)

In addition to comments about "not having time" and "not being able to continue," there were also concerns about the learning process itself, such as "not knowing where to start" and "not seeing how much progress can be made."

It appears that the system and path for continuing are the hurdles, even before the learning content itself.

79.3% Respond That They Can "Improve" Even if They Start Learning English Later in Life

Next, we asked those who responded that they "want to learn or relearn English" if they think they can improve even if they start learning English later in life.

The results showed that 18.6% "think they can improve sufficiently" and 60.7% "think they can improve to some extent," totaling 79.3% who have a positive outlook on being able to improve. On the other hand, only 17.1% "do not think they can improve much" and 3.6% "do not think they can improve."

We also asked for the reasons why people think they can improve, and here are some examples:

Reasons for Thinking Improvement is Possible

* Because I think I will improve according to the study time. (20s, Male) * Because I learned foreign languages like Korean as an adult, not just English. (30s, Female) * Age doesn't matter; it's never too late to start. The attitude of embracing it is important. (30s, Female) * I think I can improve if I attend an English conversation school or immerse myself in English through programs like adult study abroad. (40s, Female) * Compared to the past, there are more learning materials available, so I think I can learn in a way that suits me. (50s, Male)

In addition to comments like "it's never too late to start," some people cited their experience of acquiring another language as an adult and the abundance of learning materials.

What's important may not be sticking to the same learning methods as when you were young, but continuing in a way that fits your current life without forcing yourself. It appears that many people believe they can improve their English skills as adults if they can learn according to their own goals and pace.

What If You Master English? Expectations for Positive Changes Such as "Gaining Confidence" and "Expanding Social Connections"

Finally, we asked what changes they think would occur in their future lives and experiences if they were to master English.

If you were to master English, what changes do you think would occur in your future life and experiences?

* I can go on overseas trips, so the enjoyment of life will increase. (20s, Female) * I can deepen my hobbies and broaden my knowledge, and I think I can gain more confidence in myself. (30s, Female) * I think I can gain confidence in talking with people and become more positive in personality. (30s, Female) * I feel like I can communicate with people from various countries, expand my social network, and become more proactive. (40s, Female) * My life will become richer in terms of job type, range of activities, and hobbies, and I think I can spend my days more meaningfully. (40s, Male) * I can understand the words of foreign dignitaries without subtitles in the news, so I feel like I can grasp their sentiments. (50s, Female)

Many responses went beyond just expanding enjoyment in travel and movies, expressing expectations for changes such as "gaining confidence," "becoming more positive," and "expanding social connections."

Relearning English seems to be an opportunity not only to improve language skills but also to broaden the possibilities in one's future life and experiences.

Summary

In this survey, 28.0% of working adults responded that they "want to learn or relearn English." The reasons for this include not only work but also enjoyment of life, such as hobbies and overseas travel, which ranked high.

On the other hand, the hurdles to relearning, such as "lack of motivation," "lack of time," and "not knowing where to start," also became apparent. Nevertheless, about 80% believe that they can improve even if they start learning English later in life, indicating that many people have a positive outlook on learning English as adults.

To continue without being overwhelmed in busy daily life, utilizing learning methods that can be done in spare moments or incorporating services that provide support tailored to one's goals might be one approach.

*Regarding use in articles, etc.:*

* Indicate that the source is "Survey by NEXER Inc. and Money English." * Include a link to Money English (https://money-english.com).

*About Money English:*

Company Name: NALU Inc.

Address: 3-15-9 Minamiaoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062

TEL: 03-6384-5875

URL: https://money-english.com

*About NEXER Inc.:*

Head Office: Rise Arena Building 11F, 4-5-2 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0013

Representative Director: Yuya Miyata

URL: https://www.nexer.co.jp

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