ERIC Number: EJ1314600
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2083-5205
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
How Do Differences in Exposure Affect English Language Learning? A Comparison of Teenagers in Two Learning Environments
Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, v11 n2 p185-212 2021
This study investigates whether potential differences in the weight of out-of-school and in-school learning environments affect the acquisition of L2 English by teenagers in two geographical contexts, more and less English-rich, and with less and more linguistic distance to English, respectively. Participants were two groups of 14-15-year-olds, from Denmark and Spain. Language measures included a listening comprehension test, a metalinguistic knowledge test, and a grammaticality judgment test. Data about out-of-classroom exposure was elicited via a questionnaire. The study showed that: (1) the Danish group attained a significantly higher level in all language tests except for the metalinguistic knowledge test; (2) the Danish group engaged longer in out-of-school activities although the preference for some activities over others was similar in the two groups; and (3) the types of associations between out-of-school activities and language measures were different between the two groups. These results suggest that the potential influence of out-of-school activities on different language aspects is related to the particular context in which the L2 is learned and to the language proficiency of the learner.
Descriptors: English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Foreign Countries, Educational Environment, Early Adolescents, Cultural Differences, Language Proficiency, Environmental Influences, Incidence, Leisure Time, Learning Activities, Grade 8
Adam Mickiewicz University Department of English Studies. Faculty of Pedagogy and Fine Arts, Ul. Nowy Swiat 28-30, 62-800 Kailsz, Poland. e-mail: ssllt@amu.edu.pll; Web site: http://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/ssllt
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 8; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Denmark; Spain
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A