AIA Conference – Rende 14-16 September 2023
PANEL S12
“In the presence of English”: Informal English Language Learning in Italy
Convenors: Maria Pavesi (University of Pavia) & Francesca Bianchi (University of Salento)
List of abstracts
‘The Informalisation of English Language Learning through the Media’: A National Research Project on Italian Students’ Undetected L2 Experiences and Processes
Maria Pavesi
Due to contemporary globalisation, multilingualism and media saturation, the availability of English through traditional and new media has increased at an unprecedented rate. Concurrently, intense contact with the language outside educational settings is leading to a growing informalisation of L2 learning and use (Arnbjörnsdóttir and Ingvarsdóttir 2018; Reinhardt 2022). Yet, little is known of the acquisitional and sociolinguistic impact of media-induced contact with English in Italy. The national PRIN project presented in this panel aims to probe students’ private worlds and undetected English learning and appropriation processes in four territorially differentiated Italian universities. It is informed by theoretical premises integrated in a multidimensional research framework building on: (i) the spatial and temporal dimensions of the complex, self-directed contact with English in informal language learning environments (Sockett 2014; Dressman and Sadler 2020; Benson 2021), (ii) language input as a sine qua non in second language acquisition (VanPatten, Keating, Wulff 2020), (iii) the variability and fluidity of media affordances and registers (Berber Sardinha and Veirano Pinto 2021), (iv) the evolving attitudes and stance towards English as ENL/EFL/ESL/ELF in contemporary European societies (Linn, Bermel, Ferguson 2015; Aiello 2018). The presentation will outline the project research phases including: the construction of a fine-grained questionnaire on university students’ contact with English; ethnographic investigations on L2 media users’ behaviours, motivations and attitudes; longitudinal studies of untutored high-exposure respondents. A few selected results on the overall sample of ca. 4,000 collected questionnaires will be critically discussed to set the scene for the project-related contributions to the panel.
References
Aiello, Jacqueline, 2018, Negotiating Englishes and English-Speaking Identities, Routledge, London.
Benson Phil, 2021, Language Learning Environments: Spatial Perspectives on SLA, Multilingual Matters, London.
Arnbjörnsdóttir, Birna and Ingvarsdóttir, Hafdís, (eds), 2018, Language Development across the Life Span. The Impact of English on Education and Work in Iceland, Springer International Publishing, Cham.
Berber Sardinha, Tony and Veirano Pinto, Marcia, 2021, “A Linguistic Typology of American Television”, International Journal of Corpus Linguistics 24 (1), pp. 3-32.
Dressman, Mark and Sadler, Randall W. (eds), 2020, The Handbook of Informal Language Learning, Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken.
Linn, Andrew, Bermel, Neil, Ferguson, Gibson (eds), 2015, Attitudes Towards English in Europe, Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin.
Pavesi, Maria and Ghia, Elisa, 2020, Informal Contact with English. A Case Study of Italian Postgraduate Students, Edizioni ETS, Pisa.
Reinhardt, Jonathon, 2022, “The History of Language Learning and Teaching Beyond the Classroom”, in H. Reinders, C. Lai, P. Sundqvist (eds), The Routledge Handbook of Language Learning and Teaching Beyond the Classroom, Routledge, London, pp. 9-23.
Sockett, Geoff, 2014, The Online Informal Learning of English, Palgrave Macmillan, London.
VanPatten, Bill, Keating, Gregory D., Wulff, Stefanie (eds), 2020, Theories in SLA. An Introduction, Routledge, London.
‘The World-Wide English’: The Internet as a Language Learning Tool
Serena Ghiselli
Nowadays access to the Internet both to study and for leisure activities is ubiquitous. The Web contains an extensive range of contents, of which about 55% is in English (W3Techs 2023). In Iceland a collective seven-year research project was carried out on English language exposure across the lifespan (Arnbjörnsdóttir and Ingvarsdóttir 2018). One of the findings was that students learn more English vocabulary through access to the media in their free time than through focused learning. Studies about the increased informal contact with English were carried out also in other European contexts (Berns et al. 2007; Kusyk 2019; Muñoz and Elke 2020) and Italy is seeing a similar trend, but research about naturalistic English learning in the country is still scarce (Pavesi and Ghia 2020). The ongoing PRIN project ‘The informalisation of English language learning through the media’ aims at filling this research gap. The goal of this presentation is to give a descriptive overview of a set of data collected in the framework of the PRIN project at the University of Salento, Lecce. A survey about English media access and usage was administered to 995 University students. This contribution focuses on the access to the Internet, in particular to YouTube, social media, blogs and forums, web pages, podcasts, radios, apps and e-commerce websites. Data about the frequency and the length of online activities carried out in English will be discussed in relation to students’ self-assessed level of English, their attitude towards the language and their socio-cultural background.
References
Arnbjörnsdóttir, Birna and Ingvarsdóttir, Hafdís (eds), 2018, Language Development across the Life Span. The Impact of English on Education and Work in Iceland, Springer International Publishing, Cham.
Berns, Margie, Claes, Marie-Therese, De Bot, Kees, Evers, Riet, Hasebrink, Uwe, Huibregtse, Ineke, Truchot, Claude, Wijst, Per, 2007, “English in Europe”, in In the Presence of English: Media and European Youth, eBook, Springer US, Boston, MA, pp. 15-42.
Kusyk, Meryl, 2019, “Informal English Learning in France”, in M. Dressman and R.W. Sadler (eds), The Handbook of Informal Language Learning, Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, pp. 333-48.
Muñoz, Carmen and Elke, Peters (eds), 2020, Language Learning from Multimodal Input – Studies in Second Language Acquisition, Vol. 42, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Pavesi, Maria and Ghia, Elisa, 2020, Informal Contact with English – A Case Study of Italian Postgraduate Students, Edizioni ETS, Pisa.
W3techs, 2023, “Usage Statistics and Market Share of Content Languages for Websites”, last accessed June 14, 2023. https://w3techs.com/technologies/overview/content_language.
What Drives L2 Viewers’ Informal Access to English? A Case Study on Audiovisuals at the University of Pavia, Italy
Elisa Ghia
Informal contact with foreign languages takes place through a variety of input types, including audiovisuals (AVs), with access to original-version AV contents having become the preferred setting of informal contact with English also in dubbing countries (Sockett 2014; Kusyk 2020; Muñoz 2020; Pavesi and Ghia 2020). Although much research to date has been devoted to informal L2 practices and the potential of AV input in language learning, only few studies have focused extensively on participants’ underlying motivations (Sundqvist and Sylvén 2016; Trinder 2017; Kusyk 2020; Arndt 2023). To address this under-researched area, the present study explores AV genres and the main drives to access AVs in English extramurally. Data are part of a larger-scale investigation (PRIN project ‘The informalisation of English language learning through the media’) and were collected through a questionnaire administered to 1,091 students from several disciplines at a medium-sized Italian university. The main factors driving viewers towards AVs are explored from both an etic and an emic perspective through quantitative and qualitative-thematic analysis, and are accompanied by data on frequency and intensity of access, preferred genres, and viewing modalities. Findings show an orientation towards L2 learning and knowledge seeking, but also an appreciation for English, which contributes to viewers’ engagement and enjoyment of AV products. The main factors at play suggest that informal L2 practices are driven not only by a desire to acquire familiarity with the L2, but also by an enjoyment of the language itself and an instrumental use of English-language media. Additionally, accessibility and sociability affect viewers’ choices, which vary across different AV genres.
References
Arndt, Henriette, 2023, “Construction and Validation of a Questionnaire to Study Engagement in Informal Second Language Learning”, Studies in SLA, pp. 1-25.
Kusyk, Meryl, 2020, “Informal English learning in France”, in M. Dressman and R. Sadler (eds), The Handbook of Informal Language Learning, Wiley, Hoboken, pp. 333-348.
Muñoz, Carmen, 2020, “Boys Like Games and Girls Like Movies. Age and Gender Differences in Out-of-school Contact with English”, RESLA 33, pp. 172-202.
Pavesi, Maria and Ghia, Elisa, 2020, Informal Contact with English: A Case Study of Italian Postgraduate Students, ETS, Pisa.
Sockett, Geoffrey, 2014, The Online Informal Learning of English, Palgrave, London.
Sundqvist, Pia and Sylvén, Liss, 2016, Extramural English in Teaching and Learning: from Theory and Research to Practice, Palgrave, London.
Trinder, Ruth, 2017, “Informal and Deliberate Learning with New Technologies”, ELT Journal 71 (4), pp. 401-412.
Exploring University Students’ Motivations and Beliefs in Informal English Exposure to Media: A Qualitative Study
Paola Leone, Emanuela Paone
This study presents a qualitative research design aimed at exploring the driving motivations, behavioural patterns, and beliefs of university students regarding their informal exposure to English through various media sources. The preliminary research findings are also discussed. The study draws upon the complex dynamic system perspective (Larsen-Freeman 2017) and the L2 Motivational Self System theory (Ushioda 2001; Dörnyei and Ushioda 2011; Dörnyei, MacIntyre, Henry 2015) as theoretical frameworks, considering the three dimensions of the L2 Motivational Self System: Ideal L2 Self, Ought-to L2 Self, and L2 learning experience. The sample for this study comprises 24 participants, purposefully selected from university students who took part in a previous quantitative study exploring informal exposure to English through media. Participants were chosen based on a) extreme cases, such as high/low exposure to English as a Foreign Language in informal contexts, b) degree course (i.e., humanities students versus STEM students). Data collection involves audio-recorded semi-structured interviews, which are transcribed and analysed using Transana. Content analysis (Vaismoradi et al. 2016) is employed to describe and interpret individual and common traits among the informants. The study reveals the multifaceted nature of motivations, behavioural patterns, and beliefs in the context of informal English exposure through media, and underlines the blurred boundary between formal and informal language learning. Furthermore, the study offers valuable implications for language educators and policymakers.
References
Dörnyei, Zoltan and Ushioda, Ema, 2011, Teaching and Researching Motivation (2nd ed.), Longman, Harlow.
Dörnyei, Zoltan, MacIntyre, Peter D., Henry, Alastair (eds), 2015, Motivational Dynamics in Language Learning, Multilingual Matters, Bristle.
Larsen-Freeman, Diane, 2017, “Complexity Theory: The Lessons Continue”, in L. Ortega, Z., Han (eds), Complexity Theory and Language Development: In Celebration of Diane Larsen-Freeman, John Benjamins, Amsterdam, pp. 11-50.
Ushioda, Ema, 2001, “Language Learning at University: Exploring the Role of Motivational Thinking”, in Z. Dornyei, R. Schmidt (eds), Motivation and Second Language Acquisition, University of Hawai’i, USA, pp. 93-125.
Vaismoradi, Mojtaba, Jones, Jacqueline, Turunen, Hannele, Snelgrove, Sherrill, 2016, “Theme Development in Qualitative Content Analysis and Thematic analysis”, Journal of Nursing Education and Practice 6 (5), pp. 100-110.
Videogame Dialogue as Input for Language Learning: An Analysis of Lexical Coverage
Francesca Bianchi
The impact of extramural encounters with English in videogames on L2 English learning is high (Sundqvist and Wikström 2015). However, linguistic analysis of the language of videogame dialogue is scarce (Schmitt 2019). Rodgers and Heidt (2021) analysed lexical coverage – i.e., the vocabulary size needed for unassisted comprehension of texts (Nation 2006) – in a corpus of ten videogames. However, their corpus included “not only the scripted language used by characters in the game but also the language used for user interfaces, menus, in-game books, narration, tutorials, etc.” (Rodgers and Heidt 2021: 219), which impedes direct comparison with previous literature on lexical coverage in written and spoken texts (e.g., Nation 2006; Webb and Rodgers 2009). The current study duplicates the analytical methods of Rodgers and Heidt (2021) and previous studies on lexical coverage on a corpus of nine videogames from three different genres. Our corpus however exclusively comprises the scripted language used by characters in the game. The lexical coverage of our corpus proved close to that of other types of scripted language such as films, dramas, sit-coms and sci-fi programmes (Webb and Rodgers 2009 a, b). Besides presenting the analytical method used to identify lexical coverage and our quantitative findings, the presentation will discuss the notion of lexical coverage with specific reference to Italian learner-users of English, and outline further steps for a more complete analysis of the lexical profile of the language of videogames.
References
Nation, Paul, 2006, “How Large a Vocabulary is Needed for Reading and Listening?”, Canadian Modern Language Review 63 (1), pp. 59-82.
Rodgers, Michael P.H. and Heidt, Julian, 2021, “Levelling up Comprehensible Input and Vocabulary Learning. The Lexical Profile of Videogames”, in V. Werner and F. Tegge, (eds), Pop Culture in Language Education. Theory, Research, Practice, Ruotledge, London, pp. 215-227.
Schmitt, Norbert, 2019, “Understanding Vocabulary Acquisition, Instruction, and Assessment: A Research Agenda”, Language Teaching 52 (2), pp. 261-274.
Sundqvist, Pia and Wikström, Peter, 2015, “Out- of- school Digital Gameplay and in-school L2 English Vocabulary Outcomes”, System 51, pp. 65-76.
Webb, Stuart and Rodgers, Michael P. H., 2009a, “The Lexical Coverage of Movies”, Applied Linguistics 30 (4), pp. 407-427.
Webb, Stuart and Rodgers, Michael P. H., 2009b, “Vocabulary Demands of Television Programs”, Language Learning 59 (2), pp. 335-366.
Complexity Matters in TV Dialogue as Input for Informal L2 English Learning: A Corpus-Based Description
Maicol Formentelli, Raffaele Zago
The spread of digital devices and new media has led to a gradual shift in L2 English learning which increasingly favours (extensive) informal contact with the language in leisure activities, potentially leading to incidental learning and language acquisition (Sockett 2014; Dressman and Sadler 2020). This calls for a description of English-language media, major sources of language input learner-users are exposed to (Pavesi and Ghia 2020). As part of the PRIN project ‘The informalisation of English language learning through the media’, the present study aims to assess grammatical complexity in audiovisual dialogue. Within recent research on audiovisual dialogue complexity (e.g., Perego, Del Missier, Stragà 2018; Zago 2019), this study adopts a register-functional approach (Biber, Gray, Staples, Egbert 2022) to measure clausal and phrasal complexity, with a view to comparing TV dialogue to spontaneous conversation. The following questions are addressed: 1) Which syntactic features contribute to the expression of grammatical complexity in TV dialogue? 2) To what extent does TV dialogue approximate spontaneous conversation in grammatical complexity? Moving from the Sydney Corpus of Television Dialogue (Bednarek 2018), major syntactic patterns of complexity, i.e. finite/non-finite dependent clauses and noun-phrase pre- and post-modification (Biber, Gray, Staples, Egbert 2022), are identified using POS-tag sequences. The normalized frequencies are then compared to corpus findings on English conversation. Initial results show that TV dialogue approximates spontaneous conversation for syntactic complexity, in line with recent findings on Anglophone films (Formentelli, Galiano, Pavesi 2023), which corroborates the hypothesis that audiovisual dialogue represents ‘optimal input’ (Long 2020) for L2 learner-viewers accessing English in the wild.
References
Bednarek, Monika, 2018, Language and Television Series. A Linguistic Approach to TV Dialogue, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Biber, Douglas, Gray, Bethany, Staples, Shelley and Egbert, Jesse, 2022, The Register-functional Approach to Grammatical Complexity: Theoretical Foundation, Descriptive Research Findings, Application, Routledge, London.
Dressman, Mark and Sadler, Randall William, 2020 (eds), The Handbook of Informal Language Learning, Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken.
Formentelli, Maicol, Galiano, Liviana, Pavesi, maria, 2023, “The Grammatical Complexity of Film Dialogue as Input for L2 Learning: A Corpus-Based Study”, paper presented at the 14th International Conference on Corpus Linguistics (CILC2023), University of Oviedo, 10-12 May 2023.
Long, Michael, H., 2020, “Optimal input for language learning: Genuine, simplified, elaborated, or modified elaborated?”, Language Teaching 53, pp. 169-182.
Pavesi, Maria and Ghia, Elisa, 2020, Informal Contact with English: A Case-Study of Italian Postgraduate Students, Edizioni ETS, Pisa.
Perego, Elisa, Del Missier, Fabio and Stragà, Marta, 2018, “Dubbing vs. Subtitling: Complexity Matters”, Target 30 (1), pp. 137-157.
Sockett, Geoffrey, 2014, The Online Informal Learning of English, Palgrave MacMillan, London.
Zago, Raffaele, 2019, “Complexity in Film Dialogue”, Le Forme e la Storia 12 (1), pp. 123-134.
Informal Language Learning through Online Media. Some Methodological Considerations
Giuliana Regnoli, Nicoletta Simi, Gianmarco Vignozzi
English informal learning has been investigated in several European countries (e.g., Sockett 2014; Kusyk 2020; Montrul 2020). Yet, the Italian context is under-researched, with the work by Pavesi and Ghia (2020) being an exception. The Project ‘The informalisation of English language learning through the media’ aims at reducing this gap. This paper discusses the experimental design of the Pisa Research Unit’s empirical investigation of incidental vocabulary acquisition through exposure to YouTube and Instagram videos. More specifically, building on previous research (Perez 2020) and the results of a large-scale survey about university students’ extramural exposure to English, we intend to investigate whether exposure to salient lexical items in short online videos contributes to incidental vocabulary learning, both in terms of vocabulary breadth and depth. The paper exemplifies the multimodal input to be used in the study through the example of video recipes. This genre is characterised by simple syntax but includes low-frequency lexical items (e.g., phrasal verbs such as boil over and specialised terminology such as broil) which are, nevertheless, salient in this specific discursive domain and therefore noticeable. The contribution will also discuss the variables to be controlled in the empirical study, both in terms of the participants’ characteristics (e.g., language proficiency, vocabulary knowledge, habits) and of the input presented (e.g., lexical features, frequency of exposure, context variation), the rationale for the distribution of the participants into focus and control groups and the measures we intend to use to assess the effect of the individual variables on incidental vocabulary acquisition.
References
Kusyk, Meryl, 2020, “Informal English Learning in France”, in M. Dressman and R.W. Sadler (eds), The Handbook of Informal Language Learning, Wiley Blackwell, Hoboken, pp. 333-348.
Montrul, Silvina, 2020, “How Learning Context Shapes Heritage and Second Language Acquisition”, in M. Dressman and R.W. Sadler (eds), The Handbook of Informal Language Learning, Wiley Blackwell, Hoboken, pp. 57-74.
Pavesi, Maria and Ghia, Elisa, 2020, Informal Contact with English: A Case Study of Italian Postgraduate Students, Edizioni ETS, Pisa.
Perez, Montero M., 2020, “Vocabulary Learning through Viewing Video: The Role of Vocabulary Knowledge and Working Memory”, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 42 (4), pp. 749-773.
Sockett, Geoffrey, 2014, The Online Informal Learning of English, Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Gains and Losses with ChatGPT in Informal English Language Learning Scenarios
Maria Grazia Sindoni
A chatbot is an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered application that simulates human-like, natural, and spontaneous conversations with text and/or voice outputs (Fryer et al. 2020). These AI-powered chatbots learn how to reply to and otherwise interact with users by drawing on large human language datasets (Jiang et al. 2022). Hence, they can meaningfully engage users in interaction, consistently learn from previous exchanges, improve over time, and function as tireless language-learning tutors (Hockly 2023). One of the most advanced AI-powered chatbots is ChatGPT (generative, pre-trained transformer), which builds on automated speech recognition powered by Natural Language Processing (NPL). ChatGPT has been welcomed as a dramatic improvement for informal self- and peer learning in English language scenarios, as it can simulate authentic conversations, identify and capture nuances of meanings in context, translate and provide step-wise grammar guidance (Rettberg 2022). However, the ease and availability of the tool do not equate with quality and reliability vis-à-vis control of outputs (Kohnke, Moorhouse, Zou 2023). Paraphrasing Kress’ sociosemiotic and multimodal notions of ‘gains’ and ‘losses’ in meaning making (2005), this presentation will illustrate some opportunities that ChatGPT offers in the context of informal English language learning in terms of authenticity and access to a wealth of contents and information, as well as challenges and risks, including plagiarism and perceived de-professionalization of English language teaching, with ensuing decrease in pragmatic and cultural understanding of how knowledge-making is processed by the human mind.
References
Fryer, Luke K., Coniam, David, Carpenter, Rollo, Lăpușneanu, Diana, 2020, “Bots for Language Learning Now: Current and Future Directions”, Language Learning & Technology 24 (2), pp. 8-22.
Hockly, Nicky, 2023. “Artificial Intelligence in English Language Teaching: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, RELC Journal, https://doi.org/10.1177/00336882231168504
Jiang, Hua, Cheng, Yang, Yang Jeongwon, Gao, Shanbing, 2022, “AI-Powered Chatbot Communication with Customers: Dialogic Interactions, Satisfaction, Engagement, and Customer Behavior”, Computers in Human Behavior 134, 107329.
Kohnke, Lucas, Moorhouse, Benjamin L., Zou, Di, 2023. “ChatGPT for Language Teaching and Learning”, RELC Journal, https://doi.org/10.1177/00336882231162868.
Kress, Gunther, 2005, “Gains and Losses: New Forms of Texts, Knowledge, and Learning”, Computers and Composition 22 (1), pp. 5-22.
Rettberg, Jill, 2022, “ChatGPT is Multilingual but Monocultural, and It’s Learning Your Values”, Blog entry. Available at https://jilltxt.net/right-now-chatgpt-is-multilingual-but-monocultural-butits-learning-your-values