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    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.

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    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.

    Metadata

    Item Type: Article
    Keyword(s) / Subject(s): foreign language anxiety, foreign language enjoyment, outdoors education
    School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication
    Depositing User: Jean-Marc Dewaele
    Date Deposited: 24 Feb 2023 14:12
    Last Modified: 09 Aug 2023 12:54
    URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/50655

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