Informal Learning Of English Research Articles

The Influence of Parents’ Beliefs and Home Literacy Environment on Preschoolers’ Attitudes toward Learning English as a Foreign Language

There are concerns about the negative impact of early English instruction on preschoolers’ attitudes, especially regarding parents’ beliefs (PB) and certain home literacy environments (HLE). However, limited research exists on how these factors influence young children’s attitudes toward learning English. This study examined the impact of PB and HLE on preschoolers’ attitudes toward learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Purposive sampling was utilized to select potential respondents from 14 administrative regions within Zhengzhou, China. A survey was conducted among 405 primary caregivers of English preschool learners, focusing on family demographics, perceptions of early English education, HLE, and preschoolers’ learning attitudes. The data were analysed using partial least squares (PLS) analysis in structural equation modelling (SEM). Results affirmed how preschoolers’ HLE significantly and distinctly influences their EFL learning attitudes via formal and informal learning activities as well as resource availability. Specifically, English literacy resources were found to shape preschool-age children’s affective and cognitive attitudes, while caregiver reports on informal English learning at home has a predominant effect on preschoolers’ behavioural attitude. Moreover, access to literacy resources at home serves as a critical intermediary between PB about the value of English education and preschoolers’ cognitive attitude. These findings underline the importance of a supportive HLE and the benefits of interventions designed to modify parents’ beliefs in fostering preschoolers’ favorable attitudes toward EFL learning.

Online informal learning of English and receptive vocabulary knowledge: Purpose matters

Online informal learning of English and receptive vocabulary knowledge: Purpose matters

HOW CAN SOCIAL MEDIA REVOLUTIONIZE INFORMAL ENGLISH LEARNING? UNVEILING LEARNING GOALS, ADVANTAGES, AND DISADVANTAGES

Previous studies have revealed that social media (SM) was implemented in EFL (hereafter, EFL) students’ online informal learning of English (OILE). However, the information about learning goals, pros, and cons of doing these activities remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to explore (1) the learning goals of online informal learning of English via SM and (2) the students' perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of using SM to facilitate OILE. This basic qualitative study recruited 14 EFL students at a university in Indonesia to join in semi-structured interviews. The interview results were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. The findings revealed that EFL students engaged in OILE via SM for various goals (mostly for form-focused and meaning-focused goals), focusing on learning and practicing language skills. However, those learning goals primarily focused on form than meaning. In addition, the participants confessed that doing OILE brought advantages to cognitive and affective domains. Unfortunately, the participants also perceived that doing such OILE also brought some disadvantages. From the findings, we offered some implications to advance EFL learning through OILE via SM.

Language Attitudes on English Informal Learner of Non-English Graduate through Lifespan

<p><em>Globalization has produced cutting-edge technology that allows people, especially young people, to access information anywhere. Blommaert calls globalization a historical keyword. Despite their similarities, the process of globalization is revolutionary in scope, complexity and dimensions. Over time, globalization can change locations, people, societies, cultures, economies, education, technology, and markets. Many generations consider English to be a universal language. This research is qualitative in nature. Creswell states that qualitative research investigates group intentions in social or human matters. Qualitative research evaluates participants' meaning in this way. Qualitative research uses specific methods to investigate social or human problems. Problem-oriented qualitative research collects data about primary object phenomena. Because it can store and replicate the most profound events and deal with complexity, moral relativism, and live animals, this research uses narrative inquiry. Narrative humanizes humans through the creation and restructuring of stories. Based on interviews and tables about language attitudes among casual English learners across the age range, respondents are very enthusiastic about the English skills learned on YouTube. Baker (quoted in Thuan) says that effective language learners develop a favorable attitude toward their language, which must be taken into account when defining language acquisition attitudes. Divita's lifelong theory helped her learn English. Since learning English, respondents have increased substantially, according to the time scale interview. When the respondent learned English on YouTube informally, he found many channels helpful. Language variation and evolution can be better understood with life span studies, and statistics show that respondents want to learn English. The problem of researching student attitudes by age is solved. The research found that respondents now enjoy their skills across a lifetime, spanning periods and life events. The author concludes that respondents prefer learning English informally. He enjoys learning English on YouTube, which he has used since childhood. This research should investigate respondents' local language skills before and after learning English and whether they prefer formal or informal English learning.</em></p>

Utilization of Linguistic Landscape: A Cross-Disciplinary Investigation of Informal English Learning of Iranian University Students

Utilization of Linguistic Landscape: A Cross-Disciplinary Investigation of Informal English Learning of Iranian University Students

Exploring the Interplay of Motivation, International Posture, and Online Informal English Learning: A Mixed-Methods Study

Engagement with online media among learners is closely linked to language proficiency and cultural comprehension, offering a platform for enhancing English language skills. This has given rise to the field of online informal learning of English (OILE), with numerous studies exploring learners’ habits in this domain and indicating positive impacts on language proficiency. However, disparities in OILE engagement exist among learners, with individual factors like motivation and attitude playing a role. Recent research has affirmed the positive correlation between learners’ motivation, global outlook, and their involvement in informal learning. Yet, the connection between motivation and OILE remains insufficiently explored. This mixed-methods study, conducted with female university students in Saudi Arabia, utilized a questionnaire (n = 550) and subsequent semi-structured interviews (n = 19) to scrutinize students’ motivations, International Posture (IP), and frequency of OILE use within the framework of the L2 Motivational Self System. The investigation aimed to elucidate how students’ motivation and global outlook influence their OILE practices. Results indicated that participants were moderate OILE users with a relatively restricted global outlook, displaying diverse levels of motivation. Moreover, participants’ engagement with OILE was notably shaped by their Ideal L2 selves and IP. The findings propose that participants perceived OILE as a means to connect with the international English-speaking community. Pedagogically, the study advocates for educating learners about the potential advantages of OILE use and emphasizes the need for institutions in this context to cultivate learners’ International Posture.

Indonesian EFL Teachers’ Practice of Online Informal Learning of English : Perceived Understandings and Benefits to Language Skills

Indonesian EFL Teachers’ Practice of Online Informal Learning of English : Perceived Understandings and Benefits to Language Skills

Undergraduates’ behavioral intention to use indigenous Chinese Web 2.0 tools in informal English learning: Combining language learning motivation with technology acceptance model

Studies concerning the utilization of Web 2.0 tools by language learners in higher education have predominately concentrated on the adoption of English-medium Web 2.0 tools in formal learning; while the use of indigenous Chinese Web 2.0 tools in informal English learning has not been adequately examined. This study aims to investigate factors that impact undergraduates’ behavioral intention to use indigenous Chinese Web 2.0 tools for informal English learning. It was conducted to verify a hypothesized mediation model with five factors, which were based on the technology acceptance model and language learning motivation. Structural equation modeling was employed with data from 834 undergraduates at a Chinese university. The findings revealed that undergraduates’ behavioral intention to adopt Chinese Web 2.0 tools was positively impacted by perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, and intrinsic motivation in English learning, rather than by perceived ease of use. Perceived usefulness acted as a mediator between perceived enjoyment and behavioral intention to use the tools, and perceived enjoyment mediated the relationship between intrinsic motivation in English learning and the intention to utilize the tools. Two mediators (perceived enjoyment and perceived usefulness) together mediated the relationship between intrinsic motivation in English learning and behavioral intention to adopt the tools. Implications were discussed when integrating indigenous Chinese Web 2.0 tools into informal English learning.

The Relevance of Online Video Clips for the Online Informal Learning of English for Transport Technology – A Corpus-Based Approach

As a result of the vast opportunities for the use of English in everyday online life, the field of online informal learning of languages, in particular English, has attracted a new wave of research attention. Importantly for this study, it has been confirmed that online engagement in activities involving the use of English has a positive effect on the development of English language proficiency, and that watching online video clips in English is one of the most frequent activities that students engage in. Nevertheless, the number of corpus-based studies in this field remains scant. In addition, no research study has addressed the relevance of online video clips for the online informal learning of English in the specific field of transport technology. In order to bridge this research gap, the objective of this paper is to adopt a corpus-based approach to explore whether a careful selection of video clips in the specific domain of transport technology has the potential to support or supplement the core course materials. The construction of a specialised corpus of video clips adopted a six-step methodology that allowed the preparation, collection, documentation, construction, analysis, and finally evaluation of the corpus. This corpus was then compared against the corpus of the core course materials in terms of lexical density, terminology, and four-grams. The findings of the study indicate that, if carefully selected, video clips have the potential to support the formal language learning process, and should therefore contribute to the understanding of the potential of online informal learning of English in discipline-specific settings; moreover, the adopted methodology may serve as a guide for informed audio-visual material selection and analysis in any language for specific purposes.

Diversification, desire, and hierarchization of unequal Englishes on online eikaiwa

ABSTRACT Online eikaiwa, or English conversations via teleconferencing platforms, is a popular informal English learning avenue among Japanese nationals. Although online eikaiwa has received scholarly attention in recent years, only a few studies have investigated the current diversification efforts in the industry in terms of hiring teachers from various ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. Using critical discourse analysis, this paper analyzed multimodal semiotic resources of texts, videos, and photos found on online eikaiwa companies’ websites and student customers’ reviews. The findings reveal that the diversification trend initiated by online eikaiwa schools supports everyday discourses that hierarchise unequal Englishes and reinforce native-speakerism. We also found that despite the ubiquity of native speaker bias, female teachers from the Philippines and Serbia are highly commodified because of the unequal social and gendered relations among teachers and student customers. Our analysis shows that male Japanese consumers engaged in conversations with female LX (Dewaele, J. M. 2018. “Why the Dichotomy ‘L1 Versus LX User’ is Better Than ‘Native Versus non-Native Speaker’.” Applied Linguistics 39 (2): 236–240) English speaking teachers (ESTs) not primarily for language development but for their desire and fetishes for female teachers. The paper ends by arguing that the inequities and gendered formations found in online eikaiwa intersect with pre-existing economic, historical, and political connections between Japan and the host countries of LX ESTs.

Potential Effect of Informal Learning of English Through Watching a Medical Television Series on the Development of Maritime Medical English Competence

As a result of the widespread use of online technologies and vast opportunities for the use of English in everyday online life, the field of online informal learning of languages, in particular English, has attracted a new wave of research attention. Nevertheless, the number of corpus studies in this field remains low. More specifically, to date no research study has focused on the suitability of the language input to which online users are exposed while performing online activities with regard to the development of language skills in English as a language for specific purposes. In order to bridge this research gap, the objective of this paper is to apply the corpus approach to examine whether watching a medical television series may have an effect on the development of medical Maritime English for future deck officers. The results indicate that in terms of lexical density, lexical diversity, terminology, and word clusters, watching a medical television series may have a limited effect on the development of medical Maritime English for future deck officers. However, future research should examine whether watching television series may have an effect on the acquisition of typical speech patterns in spoken maritime communication, which are closely related to everyday spoken communication. Importantly, the results also seem to indicate that online informal learning of English cannot replace all segments of the formal learning of English for Specific Purposes, but can significantly contribute to the development of general English competence, which is a precondition for the further development of discipline-specific language competence.

Online Informal Learning of English Activities to Improve Students’ English Communication Skills

This study aims to learn about students' experiences developing their speaking skills using Online Informal Learning of English (OILE) activities. The researcher gathered data for this narrative study by interviewing and observing three English education students at a State University in Central Java. The data were then evaluated qualitatively. The results indicated that students learned several aspects of speaking and communicating in English using Youtube video content, including pronunciation, intonation, and expressiveness. Additionally, the students used a variety of social media and chat platforms to engage with their international peers in English. Additionally, students favoured this informal learning mechanism because they recognized the efficacy of these online everyday learning activities in pleasantly achieving meaningful learning goals. Additionally, OILE activities aided students' speaking performance during informal learning activities.

ONLINE INFORMAL LEARNING OF ENGLISH AND MOTIVATION TO LEARN EFL: CORRELATIONAL STUDY

The trend of online learning has been intensifying and present is the need for study to align this phenomenon to motivation in order for language teachers to boost students’ achievement. This research is about to inquire the correlation between online informal learning of English and motivation to learn English. Quantitative method was used to measure the correlation between variables. Subjects were students in a boarding school selected with random sampling. To obtain data, questionnaire and interview were conducted. There were 55 students in total that participated in completing the questionnaire and only 16 of them were taken to be considered for the interview. The questionnaire was in Likert Scale about the frequency of English use and about the motivation in learning. Semi-structured interview was used to confirm and expand the data. Statistical analysis of two questionnaire resulted in a positive correlation (correlation coefficient {r} = 0,48). This means that higher values of one variable tend to be associated with higher values of other variable. Suggestion was to increase English use in online activities, to observe other factors affecting the results, and more research is needed to be conducted.

The effect of perceived competence on second language communication frequency: the mediating roles of motivation, willingness to communicate, and international posture

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effects of second language (L2) motivation, willingness to communicate (WTC), and international posture on the relationship between L2 Self-perceived communication competence (SPCC) and L2 frequency of communication (L2 FC) in online informal English learning contexts among tertiary students in Malaysia. The predictor variables were drawn from Gardner’s (1985) socio-educational model of language learning and MacIntyre and Charos’ (1996) WTC model and adapted to examine the frequency of communication in online contexts. A total of 296 valid responses were collected from university students in Malaysia. The data were collected using online survey and were analysed through partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique. The findings suggested that higher level of L2 SPCC would lead to more frequent L2 use in online contexts. Furthermore, the mediating roles of L2 WTC and international posture were found to be statistically significant. However, the mediating effect of L2 motivation on the relationship between L2 SPCC and communication frequency was not supported in this study. Implications of the research findings for understanding the relationship among the study’s variables are also discussed.

Enhancing assessment in the recognition of prior learning with digitalisation

Abstract The processes to assess students’ learning acquired in various non-formal and informal learning environments have become increasingly common in Finnish university language centres in recent years. This paper describes new developments at the University of Eastern Finland to assess students’ non-formal and informal learning of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) with an electronic examination system. Recognition of prior learning (RPL) had previously been organised as on-campus examinations, although demand for digitalisation and electronic examination systems had been voiced to provide students and staff more flexibility and convenience. The digitalisation of the RPL process aimed to develop the system in the most popular language for validation, English, and to provide students and RPL assessors an increasingly effective method for assessing prior learning. Finnish higher education institutions have invested heavily in digital learning environments and this described transformation to a digitalised RPL process can be seen as a logical response. We introduce the new RPL system and its change from previous face-to-face assessment to the digital version, the rationale for and practical implementation of the digitalisation. We also present RPL assessors’ perceptions of the change, preview student data on the new system and offer suggestions on the systematic and evidence-based development of the recognition and validation of EAP in university language centres.

Students perceptions of using mobile technologies in informal English learning during the COVID-19 epidemic: A study in Chinese rural secondary schools

During the COVID-19 quarantine period, mobile technologies have been greatly promoted to be used by students to assist their learning. Although mobile learning has been well researched, studies investigating rural school students’ intentions were not enough. This study investigated rural secondary school students’ mobile technology uptake and their perceptions of using mobile technologies in informal English learning during the COVID-19 epidemic. Results suggested Chinese rural school students held positive attitudes towards mobile assisted English learning, and they most tended to use smartphones, followed by portable electronic dictionaries, tablets and laptops in informal English learning. Rural secondary school students’ behavioral intentions (BI) were significantly influenced by perceived usefulness (PU), facilitating conditions (FC) and attitude towards use (ATU) of mobile devices. Innovativeness (INNO) and perceived ease of use (PEU) did not significantly influence students’ behavioral intentions. These factors explained 83.1% of variance of students’ behavioral intentions. Based on the findings, the study offers suggestions that teachers, governments and educational policy makers take measures to pay attention to students’ mobile learning in informal English learning.

No more excuses, learn English for free: Factors affecting L2 learners intention to use online technology for informal English learning

There is a wealth of research investigating language learners’ adoption of digital technology in higher education. To date, however, research primarily focuses on the implementation of technology in formal learning either inside or outside of the classroom, and the associations between factors influencing learners’ informal English learning in online contexts are not adequately discussed. Therefore, the present study aims to identify and test the main factors related to students’ informal online English learning (IOEL) that could predict their usage intention. To better understand the drivers of technology use for informal L2 learning among university students, this study proposed a model based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to investigate students’ behavioural intention toward IOEL with particular reference to Malaysian L2 learners. The partial least square approach of the structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to test the proposed research model and the corresponding hypotheses. The results indicate that nine out of ten of the hypotheses were supported, which implies that the extended model can effectively predict L2 learners’ IOEL technology adoption in online contexts. The results also showed that perceived interaction and perceived ease of use were the two main predictors influencing learner’s technology acceptance for IOEL.

Technology and language learning

A considerable number of studies on mobile-assisted language learning have been conducted, but less attention has been paid to online informal learning of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) performed using smartphones among undergraduate EFL learners in Indonesia. Thus, this study was specifically aimed at investigating EFL learners’ most frequently-performed EFL learning activities through smartphones, the predominant online language use, and the relationship between EFL learners’ predominant online language use and their perceived EFL proficiency. The study adopted a quantitative approach. The findings reveal that the participants still more frequently access content and information from their smartphones for receptive rather than interactive/productive online activities. Indonesian, which is the participants’ first language, is still predominantly used for their online activities. The mean score of the perceived EFL proficiency of those who frequently perform online activities in English is statistically and significantly higher than those performing online activities in Indonesian. Overall, the mean score of the perceived EFL proficiency of those performing online activities in English is higher than those in Indonesian, although the difference is not statistically significant. Finally, the study’s implications with suggestions for future research are discussed.

Formal instruction vs informal exposure. What matters more for teenagers’ acquisition of English as a second language?

ABSTRACT This paper provides a comparative analysis of the drivers of English Language Competence (ELC) in a representative sample of European adolescents. School factors – such as English instruction time and English onset – are found to play an important role, especially in countries whose official languages are more distant from English. However, schools do not fully compensate for disparities in ELC. Gender, parental education and parental socioeconomic status are strongly associated with students’ ELC. Particularly, girls and children from more privileged social backgrounds show systematically higher ELC, even net of school factors and reading ability in their own country language. The role of family background is stronger in countries with languages that are more distant from English, suggesting that family resources are needed more when the skills are more difficult to acquire elsewhere. Finally, informal English exposure through media and cultural products is strongly and positively associated with ELC. This holds true in countries with both high and low linguistic distance from English, suggesting that schools should promote more informal English learning to increase overall ELC and reduce social disparities.

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Learners' Predominant Language Use for Online Informal Learning Activities through Smartphones in Indonesian Context

In recent years, researchers have become increasingly interested in mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) studies for online informal learning of English as a foreign language (EFL). Smartphones, and other mobile devices, have been used as a powerful tool in informal contexts of learning since that form of technology can help students engage in out-of-class language learning experiences. However, to our knowledge, no research on EFL learners' predominant language use for their online informal learning activities has been conducted in Indonesian context. Therefore, this study attempted to investigate EFL learners' predominant language use for their online informal learning of English through smartphones, in which the data collected were quantitatively analyzed through descriptive statistics. The results indicate that EFL learners predominantly perform their online informal learning activities in Indonesian, in English, and in both Indonesian and English. Finally, suggestions and recommendations for future research are also discussed.