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Extramural English and social interaction

Examining L2 speaking and interactional competence in high-input contexts

ORCiD logo with link | University of Oslo
 | Karlstad University
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

This article was made Open Access under a CC BY 4.0 license through payment of an APC by or on behalf of the authors.

Published online: 17 March 2026
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https://doi.org/10.1075/itl.25024.sun
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 (rs = .462, p = .047), a strong correlation between the factor “EE Social Interaction” and NEST scores (rs = .696, p < .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.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Background
    • Informal language learning and extramural English
    • L2 speaking and interactional competence
    • Research questions
  • Method and materials
    • Participants
    • Instruments
      • The National English speaking test
      • Assessments of speaking
      • Interactional competence rubric
      • Extramural English questionnaire
    • Data analysis
    • Ethical considerations
    • Results
    • RQ1. Is there a correlation between EE and speaking proficiency?
    • RQ2. Is there a correlation between EE and L2 IC?
    • RQ3. Does close analysis of interactional practices among learners with different EE engagement show any qualitative differences in terms of IC?
      • IC aspects in situ: A qualitative analysis of learner contributions
      • Participants’ displayed IC in light of assessment aspects
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgement
  • References
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