Anxiety and enjoyment among young teenagers learning English as a foreign language outdoors: a mixed-methods study

Stuler Myhre, T. and Dewaele, Jean-Marc and Fiskum, T.A. and Holand, A.M. (2023) Anxiety and enjoyment among young teenagers learning English as a foreign language outdoors: a mixed-methods study. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching , ISSN 1750-1229.

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore how outdoor education can influence foreign language anxiety (FLA) and foreign language enjoyment (FLE) when young teenagers are learning a foreign language (FL). We applied a dynamic perspective to investigate if using English in an outdoor context would reduce FLA and boost FLE, leading to a stronger willingness to communicate (WTC) in the FL. Design/methodology/approach: The design was a pre-post intervention study with an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG). Both groups engaged in fluency-oriented activities during a six-week intervention. The EG conducted the activities outdoors whereas the CG conducted them in their classrooms. A mixed-methods approach was applied collecting data through student questionnaires and group interviews with both students and their English teachers. Observations and recordings of participants’ speech were also conducted. Findings: Statistical analyses indicated a small effect of the intervention for both FLA and FLE but the difference in gain scores between groups was found to be non-significant. The qualitative data revealed a strong appreciation of the outdoor experience in English. Originality/value: Most previous studies have investigated emotions in FL learning inside the classroom. The current study investigates emotions in FL learning among young teenagers in an outdoor environment.

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