Sammendrag
Findings from research on the role of age in foreign/second language (L2) learning are inconclusive, and very few studies include possible learning from engagement in Extramural English activities (EE, Sundqvist, 2009). The two STAGE sister projects aim to fill this gap in research by conducting cross-sectional studies and comparing results for learners in Norway and Flanders (the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) on measures of English proficiency and EE from three age groups: learners in grade 1 (age 6–7), grade 6 (age 11–12), and grade 10 (age 15–16). Norway and Flanders are comparable societies with similar education systems and access to English, but different starting points for English instruction in school: early in Norway (grade 1) and late in Flanders (grade 7/8). This presentation presents the results from a pilot study involving participants aged 11–13 in Sweden (a country similar to Norway, early start) and Flanders (N=144). Data were collected through an EE-questionnaire, a listening comprehension test, and the Picture Vocabulary Size Test (PVST, Anthony & Nation, 2017). Data were analyzed quantitatively. While participants’ engagement in EE was very similar among participants from both settings in terms of frequency and types of preferred EE activities (e.g., listening to music and gaming), the early starters scored higher than the later starters on both tests, which might indicate a positive effect from having received formal instruction (Swedish participants), as opposed to only having been exposed to EE (Flemish participants). Implications for English language teaching and educational policy will be discussed.
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