In recent years, researchers have observed an increase in engagement in extramural English activities among learners (Sundqvist, 2009). The concept of extramural English (EE), coined by Pia Sundqvist (2009), refers to the English that learners encounter outside of the walls of a classroom (Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016). As much of the EE research has been conducted in subtitling countries (e.g., Sweden or Norway), there remains a significant gap in research focused on dubbing countries. As such, there is a distinct lack of knowledge regarding the EE engagement of learners in the Czech Republic. The current study aims to investigate the types and amount of EE activities among Czech upper secondary school students (n=99), including their beliefs on the role of English and EE in their lives and learning. The EE Scale Questionnaire (EESQ), devised by Sundqvist and Uztosun (2023), was used to quantitatively assess the amount and types of EE engagement. The quantitative dataset was analysed using descriptive statistical methods. Additionally, a focus-group interview, adapted from Schwarz (2020), was conducted to explore the learners’ beliefs and opinions, and the resulting qualitative data were analysed via thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006). The findings stemming from the EESQ show a moderate overall EE engagement among the learners, with the most frequently engaged in EE factors being EE Viewing, followed by EE Music and EE Gaming. The least popular EE factors were EE Niche, followed by EE Digital Creativity. The qualitative results suggest that learners perceive English as vital for their education and career, finding information online, personal development, socializing, travel, and entertainment. The learners displayed highly positive perceptions of EE and its potential for learning, with the majority of their L2 skills being ascribed to EE. As a result of the learners’ rising L2 proficiency due to EE, a significant authenticity gap (Henry, 2013) was perceived. Overall, the results resemble those found by Husum (2023), Schwarz (2020), Sundqvist (2009), and Sundqvist and Uztosun (2023), suggesting similar EE habits among learners from dubbing and subtitling countries. Key issues pertaining the research instrument were found and suggestions for improvement in future research were presented.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:du-48867 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Švecová, Barbora |
| Publisher | Högskolan Dalarna, Institutionen för språk, litteratur och lärande |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
Page generated in 0.0017 seconds