Exploring the impact of language exposure outside the classroom on students’ writing.

Abstract

The impact of language exposure on language learning is acknowledged (Pujadas & Muñoz, 2020; Pattemore & Muñoz, 2020), but few studies have addressed its influence on writing (Strobl & Baten, 2021). This study examines how English exposure beyond the classroom relates to student writing. A total of n = 40 participants (n = 20 with B2 level; n = 20 with C2 level) participated in the study. The study follows a mixed methods research approach and data were collected, on one hand, by means of a questionnaire adapted from Lasagabaster & Huguet, (2007) and a written composition that was analyzed using Jacobs et al.', (1981) taxonomy. On the other hand, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten of the participants. Findings show that English exposure outside of school has a positive connection with writing scores. Moreover, a positive association exists between students’ engagement in out-of-school activities and their writing scores. Besides, interviews reveal individual differences that influence activity engagement, subsequently impacting writing scores. These findings suggest that combining language exposure with out-of-school engagement is beneficial for language learning.

Keywords

• Third language writing, language exposure, media and language learning.