Abstract

This qualitative study examines adults' perceptions about the impact of an English learning program from a language center of a public university on the Caribbean coast of Colombia regarding their educational experiences, career paths, and personal development. The Grown Ups English Learning Program (GUELP) fostered a supportive environment with valued communicative methodologies and teachers acting as mentors. Many learners credited the program for their professional advancement and improved results in national standardized exams. More broadly, former students consider English as a bridge to personal growth and global participation. English was consistently perceived as a tool for employability, academic advancement, and international interaction. In this study, “impact” was conceptualized as participants’ perceived linguistic progress, professional use of English, and socioemotional development, as reported in questionnaires and interviews. The findings suggest that GUELP advances Colombia’s National Bilingualism Policy and aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 by promoting equitable lifelong learning opportunities in non-formal educational contexts.

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