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Abstract

Research shows that adolescents learn English as a foreign/second language (L2) extramurally, but few studies have explored the connection between extramural English (EE), speaking, and interactional competence (IC). This exploratory mixed-methods study investigates 21 10th-grade L2 English learners in Norway and Flanders who answered an EE questionnaire and participated in a video-recorded speaking test (National English Speaking Test, NEST). They were assessed on speaking and IC. Results showed a slight significant correlation between total EE and NEST scores ( = .462,  = .047), a strong correlation between the factor “EE Social Interaction” and NEST scores ( = .696,  < .001), but no correlations with the IC-score. However, close analyses (Conversation Analysis) of recorded interaction data indicated an EE — IC relation in terms of displayed competencies.

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2026-03-17
2026-04-21

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Extramural English and social interaction
John Benjamins ; https://doi.org/10.1075/itl.25024.sun
/content/journals/10.1075/itl.25024.sun
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keywords: social interaction ; interactional competence ; speaking proficiency ; extramural English ; L2 English

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