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Informal Learning and Institution-wide Language Provision pp 125–161Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Students Outside the System: Informal Learning

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Part of the book series: New Language Learning and Teaching Environments ((NLLTE))

Abstract

One of the most important contributions to L2 acquisition today is learning outside the classroom, diversely referred to as out-of-classroom language learning (OCLL) informal learning, or sometimes extracurricular learning. This type of learning includes a wide variety of practices adopting many of the properties of the complex and dynamic systems described in Part I of this book. Studies devoted to informal language learning attest to its ubiquity as well as to the high level of autonomy of learners who engage in the types of activities identified. This chapter pays particular attention to the notions of location, formality and modes of practice, in order to define and more clearly identify the activities of contemporary language learners in higher education.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    I am more and more tempted to abandon the acronym OILE , coined by Geoff Sockett and myself in 2010 for our first (and subsequent) publications on the topic, in favour of IDLE , created and initially used by Ju Seong (John) Lee (2017), as it so aptly embraces both the principle elements of OILE and exemplifies notions related to leisure and implicit acquisition, which are also central to the concept.

  2. 2.

    These results have been excluded from the average for reasons of credibility and generalisation, but are worth mentioning, as it is in the real, albeit sometimes marginal, examples that we can approach a better overall understanding of OILE phenomena.

  3. 3.

    Original episodes proposed and written by fans of a series . Examples can be found at https://www.fanfiction.net.

  4. 4.

    These are rhoticity, intervocalic /t/, vowel nasalisation, word-stress in certain two syllable words, word-stress and number of syllables, pronunciation of the spellings <i> and <y> in certain words.

  5. 5.

    This seems to be a progression that is documented by researchers time and again—see Kusyk (2017) and Vanderplank (2016).

  6. 6.

    Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger (1991) speak of a latent phase of “legitimate peripheral participation” before further integrating a “community of practice”.

  7. 7.

    All the ellipses in this quotation refer to Lowe’s references, which are too numerous (22 in all) to be included here.

  8. 8.

    In the blogs analysed for Toffoli (2016), Jatupon’s example is telling: “Accordingly, listening to the musics in English is one of the best ways to ameliorate our listening and speaking skills” (unmodified citation).

  9. 9.

    These are the same types of learners from the same Language Resource Centre (i.e. intermediate level Arts and Social Science students), but not necessarily the same individuals as in the main survey.

  10. 10.

    “When I am used to singing, to music , I usually sing at the same time, even if I don’t understand all the words. The melody helps me with pronunciation , especially when I have to focus on certain syllables” (Seçil, November 12, 2010, unmodified) or

    “I came across an amount of old songs that recalled me that singing in another language was probably the best way to maintain one’s oral skills because according to me it is the best way for oral productions. Singing is based on imitation of the singer’s voice, and reproduction of what is said in the most similar way. Even though you don’t pay a peculiar attention of what you are saying because words don’t matter. Singing is made in immediacy and without the thought to be ridiculous, because being ridiculous took part in the game, we are not doing a competition. I noticed that I make some mistakes when I am singing, but as it is a game, you don’t feel discouraged, you try again in order to do less mistakes until what you are saying suits with the song . Another interesting aspect of singing is that the speed of the lyrics and what is said, here you get used to the stream of language, and thus have a better comprehension skills and production skills, because you sing more and more rapidly in English. The skill that you reach helps you to speak with more fluency when the stream of speech is slower” (Alida, 24 November 2012, unmodified).

  11. 11.

    Robert Vanderplank (2016) provides a detailed analysis of the uses and limitations of various video genres for language learners.

  12. 12.

    Laurence Schmoll’s (2016) thesis provides an in-depth epistemological reflection on the universe of video games and gaming in informal language learning.

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    Denyze Toffoli

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Toffoli, D. (2020). Students Outside the System: Informal Learning. In: Informal Learning and Institution-wide Language Provision. New Language Learning and Teaching Environments. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37876-9_6

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