Extramural English in Teaching and Learning: From Theory and Research to Practice

“Research in different countries and regions, such as Scandinavia (Piirainen-Marsh & Tainio, 2009; Simensen, 2010; Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016), Belgium (Kuppens, 2010), Germany (Grau, 2009), and in Hungary (Józsa & Imre, 2013) has shown that there is a positive relationship between primary and…”

“Previous research on out-of-school English suggests that male students participate more frequently in digital gaming activities, which may lead to greater exposure to English outside the classroom (Sylvén and Sundqvist, 2012; Sundqvist and Sylvén, 2016).”

“Research on out-of-class and digital learning shows that learners outside English-speaking countries can develop routines and relationships in which English becomes a regular medium of communication (Lai et al., 2015; Sockett, 2014; Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016).”

“A new term, extramural English , has been coined to refer to such English learning outside school in light of the changing landscape of EFL teaching and learning (see Sundqvist and Sylvén 2016).”

“Sundqvist and Sylvén (2016) further define this phenomenon as any self-initiated activity in which English is encountered or used beyond formal instruction, including activities mediated through digital or traditional media, as digital platforms may facilitate independent engagement with language…”

“…digital media, gaming particularly, achieved measurably higher vocabulary and overall proficiency scores than otherwise comparable students with less such exposure, establishing a robust empirical foundation for treating digital communication as a genuine proficiency-building channel [8].”

“…on ISLL has become a fruitful field of investigation, exploring both digital and real-world environments for language learning and use across Europe (Arnbjörnsdóttir & Ingvarsdóttir, 2018; De Riso, 2025; Krüger, 2023; Lyrigkou, 2023; Muñoz, 2020; Pavesi et al., 2025; Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016).”

“Sundqvist and Sylvén (2016) note that habitual exposure can increase opportunities for encountering vocabulary items.”

“In practice, students’ overall proficiency in English can be even higher due to systematic exposure to English outside of school (e.g., Sundquist & Sylvén, 2016).”

“These findings support the concept of Digital Informal Learning of English (DILE) proposed by Sundqvist & Sylvén (2016), which explains that digital activities and online interaction facilitate language learning in informal environments.”

“To map this transition, this study utilizes a framework adapted by the authors from the foundational models of extramural English and autonomous spaces established by Sundqvist and Sylvén (2016) and Lee (2019).”

“These practices mirror the suggestions of input-and usage-based perspectives on SLA (Ellis, 2019; Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016), which emphasize the importance of comprehensible input and opportunities for spontaneous language use.”

“Research on Online and Extramural English consistently shows that informal, interest-driven and digitally mediated practices contribute to L2 development, particularly in listening, vocabulary growth, and con fi dence (Sockett 2014; Sundqvist and Sylvén 2016).”

“This approach complements formal instruction by providing learners with greater autonomy and flexibility in how, when, and where they learn languages (Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016).”

“This finding could imply that exposure to English sports discourse, rather than formal linguistic training, drives specialised lexical competence (Sundqvist, 2009; Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016; Peters & Webb, 2018; Rodgers & Webb, 2020).”

“This pattern aligns with previous research showing that informal digital viewing contributes to vocabulary growth, especially for learners who are still building their lexical foundations (Lee & Dressman, 2018; Peters, 2018; Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2019; Rezai et al., 2024).”

“The acquisition of English, in particular, has been moving beyond traditional institutional frameworks, with the freer appropriation of the language in everyday life leading to what has been termed the informalisation of L2 English learning (Sockett, 2014; Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016).”

“Extracurricular digital activities – such as online gaming and video confer-encing – have been shown to enhance fl uency, vocabulary, and spontaneous language use (De Wilde et al. 2020; Sundqvist and Sylvén 2016).”

“At the same time, a growing body of work has stressed the importance of informal, out-of-class exposure in shaping L2 pragmatic development (De Wilde and Eyckmans 2017; Sockett 2014; Soyoof et al. 2023; Sundqvist and Sylvén 2016).”

“Studies have shown that informal learning offers substantial opportunities for implicit language learning as well as a rich source of enjoyment and motivation (Dressman et al., 2025; Kusyk et al., 2025; Sockett, 2014; Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016).”

“Extramural digital learning-le arners ‘voluntary engagement with digital media outside formal instruction-has been shown to enhance linguistic and motivational outcomes (Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016).”

“At the same time, the multivariable results indicated that exposure explained relatively little incremental variance in cluster accuracy once structural factors and other covariates were taken into account (Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016).”

“By conceptualizing TikTok as an informal learning ecology shaped by algorithm-driven repetition, multimodality, and social interaction, this study extends prior discussions that predominantly frame social media as a tool for intentional instruction (Sockett, 2014);(Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016).”

“Different from formal online courses, IDLE is driven by personal interest and often involves activities students would engage in for leisure, such as using social media, watching YouTube videos, playing online games, or listening to music (Benson & Reinders, 2011; Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016).”

“This disconnect mirrors findings from broader research on extramural English learning (Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016), which shows that informal digital engagement can significantly enhance language competence if properly mediated by educators.”

“…received increased attention in the past decades as well under the umbrella term Extramural English (EE), which encompasses both intentional and incidental informal learning of English through learner-initiated activities either online or in real life (Sundqvist, 2009; Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016).”

“This finding above complements previous studies such as Klimova & Kacetl (2018) and Sundqvist & Sylvén (2016), who note that while digital game-based learning platforms can boost motivation and vocabulary acquisition, poorly designed visual elements or excessive complexity may hinder learning,…”

“Research on ex-tramural English shows that informal contact with media contributes significantly to language development [7] .”

“Theoretically, this phenomenon aligns with the concept of Extramural English (EE) [9], [10], which refers to English use and exposure beyond formal classrooms.”

“These findings are consistent with earlier research [18, 19], which highlights that narrative and interaction-rich games naturally provide contexts for vocabulary learning and pragmatic language use.”

“This supports Sundqvist and Sylvén's (2021) claim that incidental vocabulary learning through extramural English is becoming more important.”

“…has been shown to be associated with motivation and communication outcomes, yet comprehensive descriptions of how non-Western, narrative-driven games mediate intercultural communication and literacy practices remain limited (Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016; Guo & Lee, 2023; Zadorozhnyy et al., 2023).”

“Thus, extramural English (EE), which takes place outside of the classroom walls (Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016), is beneficial for both teachers and students to foster greater learner autonomy.”

“This definition emphasizes learner-initiated engagement, highlighting that EE is voluntary and may serve both deliberate and incidental language learning purposes (Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016).”

“Nämä aktiviteetit liitetään koulun ulkopuoliseen englannin oppimiseen myös kansainvälisessä tutkimuksessa (Sundqvist & Sylvén 2016: 6–7; Sundqvist & Uztosun 2024).”

“The first factor consisted of items reflecting active TL use, that is, activities that require the L2 user to be active and/or productive and to rely on their own L2 skills (see Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016, p. 188).”

“Extramural English means that the language learner comes in contact with language outside the classroom, and this contact is initiated by the learner himself (Snoder, 2019).”

“As mentioned by Sundqvist & Sylvén (2016), limited exposure to English outside the classroom further exacerbated these difficulties.”

“English proficiency is generally high in Sweden, in the top segment in international rankings among non-native speakers, often explained by extensive exposure to English via media and online activities (Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016; Sylvén, 2005).”

“As is widely recognized, the Swedish English language classroom of today is very diverse, in terms of levels, culture and first language/s spoken by students, (see e.g., Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2016, and Skolverket [Swedish National Agency for Education], 2023).”

“Vocabulary was often taught through lists, rote memorization, and in isolation from context, which proved effective for exams but had limitations in promoting long-term retention or practical application[4].”

“In fact, each had exposure not only to school English but to English in the wild (Sundqvist and Sylvén 2016), or English used for communication purposes in a non-classroom setting, to varying degrees.”

“Language diaries, interviews, and questionnaires are also introduced as methods for affective support (see Sundqvist & Sylven, 2016).”

“In the recent decade, research on online learning of English beyond the classroom utilizing digital technology has paid great attention among scholars in the EFL context (Nugroho & Rahmawati, 2020; Sundqvist & Sylven, 2016).”