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

Finding Summary

In order to explore the relationship between extracurricular activities and the language acquisition and well-being of English Learners, the researcher interviewed three students at three levels of English language development. One student is a reclassified EL, one student is an intermediate EL, and one is a Newcomer.

During the interviews, Student 1 mentioned that in order to participate in activities outside the classroom takes one the security of knowing that you will be understood. He mentioned that it took him years to venture into extracurricular activities because of fear of not expressing himself properly in English and holding the team back if instructions had to be repeated due to him not understanding. He mentioned the importance of feeling part of a community when learning a second language. He shared that during his years at Elementary school, he was in an afterschool program where the majority were English Learners. He felt that the help they were receiving was very beneficial and seeing other students learning English like him made him feel included and as everyone had the same goal. However, he acknowledged that the same resources given at Elementary level are not given at High School level, and resources should be provided to newcomer students arriving during High School.
Student 2 decided to participate in extracurricular activities by the third year after she arrived in the United States. She experienced students making fun of her accent and over all
English skills. She even received discouraging comments from other students saying, “Are not you scared” “I would not join the team if I was you.” However, she was determined to feel part of the school and she joined first the dance team which was an easy transition because the teacher speaks Spanish, and then the swimming team. Even when she felt that the coach was treating her different for not speaking the language, she fought for her tights to keep being part of the swimming team, she made non-Spanish speaking friends, and she feels participating in extracurricular activities benefited her to improve her language skills, socialize more, and feel part of the school culture.
For student 3, communication with non-Spanish speakers has benefited her English acquisition and development, but she still does not feel confident to join any extracurricular activity. She stated that she wants to learn more English before she adventures to participate in activities outside the classroom.
The information gathered from the interviews reveal a common pattern between all three students. Students do not feel comfortable participating in extracurricular activities if they don’t think they will be able to communicate effectively with their teammates and coaches. Two out of three participants have experienced fear of participating in extracurricular activities when English has been a limitation. Although, all three participants believe the school where the study was conducted does a great job at making everyone welcomed to participate in activities outside the classroom, the interviews revealed that there are simple ideas the school could implement in order for English Learner students to have an easier transition if they decide to participate in extracurricular activities.