This paper examines the out-of-class language learning activities of 18 university students of Japanese, focusing on the manner in which they compensate for gaps in their language competence. Drawing on sociocultural perspectives, the analysis found that students strategically utilised a variety of resources as well as tools under the influence of contextual factors.
The development of information-communication technology (ICT) has significantly transformed the language learning environment by enabling learners to access a variety of resources, tools and communities to support their language learning regardless of the target language (Benson, 2013). In the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), therefore, the research on out-of-class language learning has recently been attracting more attention, mainly due to online informal language learning (Sockett, 2014). However, the majority of studies on this topic have examined the language-related activities of learners of English, while other languages still remain underexplored. Moreover, research exploring how language learners undertake leisure activities (e.g., watching TV programmes) in their second/foreign language (L2) outside of the classroom is relatively scarce. This paper examines the out-of-class language learning activities of 5 students of Japanese at a Swedish university, focusing on the manner in which they compensate for gaps in their language competence while they engage in L2-related activities. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews on the participants' background, from the language learning diaries and interviews on these diaries. Drawing on sociocultural perspectives (Lantolf & Thorne, 2006), the analysis found that students strategically utilised a variety of resources and tools depending on the difficulty of the materials and other contextual factors. It was also shown that the linguistic knowledge that the students learned in the class and through out-of-class L2-related activities supported each other. Based on these findings, this paper suggests the need for a slight change in our teaching practices to facilitate students' engagements in L2-related activities outside of the classroom. References Lantolf, J. P., & Thorne, S. L. (2006). Sociocultural theory and the genesis of second language development. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press. Sockett, G. (2014). The online informal learning of English. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
