THE CONTEXT OF LEARNING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (AL2LC SCALE)

Abstract

The context of L2 learning (L2LC) is the most immediate learning environment for L2 learners, hence potentially influencing their L2 attitudes and linguistic behaviour. In this paper, we focused on an affective variable (students’ attitudes), and social (the classroom as a community of practice/CoP), but also cultural indirectly (students’ integration into their CoP). The main aim of the study was to explore the attitudes of two age and educational profile groups to the L2LC, and subsidiary to determine whether their evaluation of the L2LC is connected with the extent to which they are exposed to the L2 through its use as the language of instruction (L2LoI), and the age when they started learning the L2. The main administered instrument was the AL2LC scale, which showed good psychometric properties, and the gathered quantitative data were analysed in IBM SPSS 21. In a nutshell, the results show that the L2LC is one composite factor, closely connected with the frequency of use L2LoI, which gives rise to its actual employment in L2 classes. Secondary school students evaluated their overall L2LC better, and significant differences were found between the age and educational profile groups on individual components. In conclusion, further investigations are needed in order to analyse the L2LC in more detail, but within a broader concept of the L2 learning environment, including other sources of input learners are exposed to, as well as their relation to students’ L2 learning attitudes, and potentially achievement.