English Learners Outside the Classroom: The Effects of Participating in Extracurricular Activities

Data Analysis and Interpretations

With student interviews, numerous cycles of coding were used, including holistic, in vivo, and pattern coding approaches. The data was analyzed resulting in four themes with the purpose of answering the research question: To what extent do extracurricular activities affect the English language acquisition and social well-being of High School English Learners? The themes resulting from the data collected from the interviews are: Reasons to participate in Extracurricular Activities, Reasons not to participate in Extracurricular Activities, Benefits of participating in extracurricular activities, and Recommendations from the students

Reasons to participate in Extracurricular Activities

All three participants believed that participating in extracurricular activities can benefit English language acquisition and helped them to establish friendships and socialize with other students. The students' attitudes towards the benefits of participating in extracurricular activities relates to previous data collected by several researchers. For example, extracurricular activities in high school can inspire kids to get more involved with their friends, school, and community by providing options geared to their interests. The majority of young people participate in activities for personal enjoyment and socialization with their peers (Collings, 2020). Student 1 mentioned that feeling comfortable and in a safe space where he knew he was not going to be made fun of his English skills were one of the factors that made him finally decide to join a sport, which resulted in him improving his English communication skills. This finding is an addition to previous research that states that ELLs may make positive cultural and linguistic changes

throughout their encounters with peers in this new context if schools promote them to participate in extracurricular activities such as athletics. (2020, Donroe)
Student 2 said joining the swim team and the dance club was mostly due to self- motivation. She joined the swimming team this year because she wanted to learn to swim. She stated how much she enjoys going to the beach, but no one in her family knows how to swim. This indicates that students may discover other resources and experiences outside the classroom that will help them have a more fulfilling educational experience and gain even more abilities that will serve them in their life beyond high school (Donroe, 2020). Finally, she believed that she needed to participate in extracurricular activities in order to acclimate to the school culture and language. Just like student 3, Student 2 noted that having discussions, friendships, and even meaningful connections with English speakers had helped her improve her language abilities, therefore she wanted to take advantage of the involvement of extracurricular activities.
Extracurricular activities may help students not only academically, but also network, become more adjusted to the school culture, and become more enthusiastic to learn English. Students' socializing in the real world of practice is seen as a key contribution to their learning experience, and therefore may be seen as a critical aspect that promotes students' learning. Students value a sense of belonging and participation in the culture (Houghton, 2014).