Investigating the IDLE Habits and WTC of Swedish EFL Learners. A Quantitative Study

Abstract

This quantitative study aimed to investigate informal digital learning of English (IDLE) habits and willingness to communicate (WTC) among Swedish upper secondary EFL students and whether a correlation could be found between the two. Data was collected through questionnaires containing questions on receptive IDLE, productive IDLE, WTC in the classroom and WTC outside the classroom in digital settings. The participants consisted of 77 EFL students studying both practical and theoretical programs at a Swedish upper secondary school. The results show that Swedish EFL students frequently engage in a number of receptive IDLE activities and less frequently in productive activities. Furthermore, the data collected supports previous findings suggesting that students are more willing to communicate in smaller groups than in front of the whole class. The results related to WTC outside the classroom in digital settings suggest that students are relatively willing to call, text or chat with both native and non-native English speakers. Finally, a correlation was found between the mean values of IDLE and WTC; however, the grade of correlation between IDLE and the different WTC factors varied. Based on these findings, suggestions for future research related to IDLE and WTC both inside and outside the classroom were presented.