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Article published In: Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education
Vol. 8:2 (2020) ► pp.173–199

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Effects of input on L2 writing in English and Dutch

CLIL and non-CLIL learners in French-speaking Belgium

ORCiD logo with link | NaLTT, Université de Namur
 | ILC, UCLouvain
 | ILC, UCLouvain
 | ILC, UCLouvain
 | ILC, UCLouvain
Published online: 1 May 2020
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jicb.18034.van
Abstract
This study aims to explore the impact of formal and informal input on learners’ variability in writing, and to compare two target-language conditions (Dutch and English) in CLIL and non-CLIL settings in French-speaking Belgium. A regression model shows that CLIL is a significant predictor of L2 outcomes for both target languages, but that the relative impact of formal and informal input differs depending on the target language. In short, the amount of formal language exposure predicts the outcomes of the written productions of the learners of English, and the frequency of informal exposure those of the learners of Dutch. We argue that this observation is likely related to the difference in status that each of these languages holds among the pupils in our sample. The findings thus highlight the importance of the L2 status in research on CLIL, since different L2s can yield different results.
Résumé
Cette étude s’inscrit dans le cadre d’un projet sur l’Enseignement d’une Matière par l’Intégration d’une Langue Étrangère (EMILE) en Belgique francophone. Elle vise à explorer l’impact de l’apport langagier (input) formel et informel sur les productions écrites des apprenants et à comparer deux conditions linguistiques (l’apprentissage du néerlandais et de l’anglais comme langues cibles) dans les contextes EMILE et non EMILE en Belgique francophone. Une analyse de régression montre que l’EMILE est un prédicteur significatif des résultats pour les deux langues cibles, mais que l’impact relatif de l’input formel et informel diffère selon la langue cible. En bref, le degré d’exposition formelle à la langue cible prédit les résultats des productions écrites des apprenants de l’anglais, et la fréquence de l’exposition informelle ceux des apprenants du néerlandais. Nous soutenons que cette observation est probablement liée à la différence de statut de chacune de ces langues parmi les élèves de notre échantillon. Les résultats soulignent donc l’importance du statut de la L2 dans la recherche sur l’EMILE, puisque différentes langues cibles peuvent donner des résultats différents.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The influence of (different types of) TL input on TL proficiency
    • 2.1Duration of TL learning
    • 2.2Formal vs informal TL exposure
    • 2.3CLIL input
  • 3.Research questions, participants and data collection
    • 3.1Research questions
    • 3.2Participants
    • 3.3Data collection procedure and instruments
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Descriptive statistics
    • 4.2Correlations
    • 4.3Regressions
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
References (72)
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