Learning a foreign language in the outdoors : Perceptions of foreign language anxiety and foreign language enjoyment of primary students and teachers when learning English in an outdoor setting

Abstract: The aim of this study is to explore how outdoor education (OE) can influence foreign language anxiety (FLA) and foreign language enjoyment (FLE) when primary students are learning English as a foreign language (EFL). The design was a pre-post intervention study with two experimental groups of 3rd graders of a Catalan state school that participated in an outdoor English session. The research has followed a mixed-methods approach, consisting of a pre- and post-test, group interviews with the students and individual interviews to their main teachers. Statistical analyses indicated a significant decrease in the FLA levels after the outdoor session, especially in girls. Regarding the FLE levels, even if there was an increase for both boys and girls, the difference was not significant. The statistical power was too low and the lack of a control group makes it difficult to claim that the differences where due to the outdoor setting. The qualitative data revealed positive feelings regarding the outdoor English session. Both students and teachers mentioned numerous benefits such as the increase of motivation, active learning or interaction with nature. However, the teachers pinpointed some challenges that need to be taken into account when applying this method. Even if FLA and FLE have been widely investigated, studies on how the outdoors can influence these emotions, and its effect in primary students are new fields of research. This study has provided an overview on how learning English outdoors can be linked with FLA and FLE levels and the differences presented between genders.