ERIC Number: ED574945
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Aug
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
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Available Date: N/A
Computer-Assisted L2 English Language-Related Activities among Swedish 10-Year-Olds
Sundqvist, Pia; Sylvén, Liss Kerstin
Research-publishing.net, Paper presented at the EUROCALL 2012 Conference (Gothenburg, Sweden, Aug 22-25, 2012)
This paper presents findings from a study investigating young Swedish learners' extramural (out-of-school) contact with English. In contemporary Sweden, the influx of English is great and research has shown that extramural contact with English correlates positively with students' proficiency in English (Olsson, 2011; Sundqvist, 2009; Sylvén, 2004). While Sylvén (2004) investigates type and amount of involvement in extramural English activities among upper secondary students and Sundqvist (2009) as well as Olsson (2011) among 9th graders, little on the same topic is known about younger learners. However, in a nationwide survey, more than half of Swedish 5th graders indicate that they have learned English as much or more outside of school than in school (Skolverket, 2004), but empirical studies on the topic remain scarce. Based on data collected from young learners (N = 112; grade 4; age 10), this paper presents results regarding their type and amount of extramural language activities in English as well as in Swedish and other languages. Previous research has shown that digital gaming may contribute to L2 English learning, in particular with regard to vocabulary (Cobb & Horst, 2011; Miller & Hegelheimer, 2006; Ranalli, 2008; Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2012). Therefore, the first focus of our presentation is on these young learners' L2 English language-related use of computers, for instance in playing digital games. A comparison is made between digital gaming habits in English and Swedish. The second focus is on analyses of playing digital games from the perspectives of gender and the learners' first languages. The final focus is on learner motivation and self-assessed L2 English proficiency. [For the complete volume, see ED574893.]
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Computer Assisted Instruction, English (Second Language), Learning Activities, After School Education, Computer Uses in Education, Computer Games, Gender Differences, Native Speakers, Native Language, Swedish, Informal Education, Second Language Learning, Language Acquisition, Grade 4, Questionnaires
Research-publishing.net. La Grange des Noyes, 25110 Voillans, France. e-mail: info@research-publishing.net; Web site: http://research-publishing.net
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Sweden
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