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

The Benefits of Extracurricular Activities

Much research has been conducted on the impact of extracurricular activities on the development of students. Some of them emphasize the value of participating in these activities because they help students develop personal qualities such as self-confidence, time management, discipline, and academic accomplishment (Albayrak et al., 2021). Extracurricular activities are adult-supervised activities that are not connected to the main curriculum, allow participants to acquire specialized skills or knowledge, and take place outside of school hours (Metsäpelto et al., 2014.) Every high school in the country offers extracurricular activities, such as sports, music, and academic clubs. Extracurricular activities are considered part of a well-rounded education because they provide a channel for reinforcing classroom learning and allowing students to apply academic abilities in a real-world setting. Students can acquire the qualities of collaboration, individual and group responsibility, physical strength and endurance, competitiveness, diversity, and a feeling of culture and community via these activities. Extracurricular activities can be seen as a developmental environment, or microsystem, in the lives of children. Children are influenced by their home environment and school and by experiences in their recreational activities and cross-context interactions (Metsäpelto et al., 2014). Extracurricular activities in high school may encourage students to get more active with their peers, school, and community by giving a variety of possibilities tailored to their interests.

Most young people join in activities for intrinsic reasons such as excitement, enjoyment,

improving their skills, and socializing with friends (Collings, 2020). Extracurricular activities are not part of the academic curriculum but are provided by a school. These activities benefit a

student's educational path in ways that cannot be replicated in the classroom alone. Sports, student government, and leadership are all examples of extracurricular activities. Sometimes they are described as activities part of a classroom/program curriculum, such as science fairs, student newspapers, service learning, and mock debates, and are commonly used interchangeably (Mitchell, 2015). Academic success and engagement have been linked to participation in structured extracurricular activities. These links have been documented in quantitative and qualitative measures of accomplishment, such as grade point average (GPA), school belonging and achievement goals. (Camacho et al., 2015).
Any academic program's effectiveness is determined by students' achievement in all activities, both inside and outside the classroom. Classroom activities and cocurricular activities are usually mixed into an academic curriculum. Co-curricular activities extend classroom learning by assuming previously acquired materials for various challenges. (Chakraborty et al., 2021). Evidence suggests that positive youth growth and development are linked to opportunities provided by schools, communities, and other learning settings, such as "learning physical, intellectual, psychological, emotional, and social skills in the presence of warm and nurturing relationships that enable social integration and belongingness, and offer adult guidance and limit setting, as well as physical and psychological safety" (Metsäpelto et al., 2014). Participation in structured after-school activities may be beneficial for children from immigrant households whose parents may be unfamiliar with American education systems. Participating in high school athletics has academic and social benefits for students. Students that participate in high school athletics are more likely to have higher self-esteem, devote more time to their studies/homework, socialize with intellectually inclined peers, and form deeper bonds with other students, parents, and the school. If schools encourage ELLs to participate in extracurricular activities such as athletics, it is feasible that they may make good cultural and linguistic changes because of their
interactions with peers in this new setting. (Donroe, 2020). Studies have found that first- generation students are less likely to participate in academic activities than their third-generation counterparts.
Interestingly, while all students benefited from engagement, first-generation students had a more significant increase in GPA because of participation than third-generation students (Camacho, 2015). California has more English learners (EL) students than any other state (1.3 million), as well as the greatest proportion of ELs (21%). Overall, 38 percent of California kids are English learners when they join the education system (Santibañez et al., 2018). According to the findings, structured after-school activities are crucial for kids from immigrant households since they provide extra experiences that help them attain academic success (Camacho, 2015).
Extracurricular activities can not only assist students to succeed academically, but they can also help newcomers socialize, feel acclimated to the school culture, and become more eager to learn English. Individuals become completely adjusted insiders, gain relevant abilities, and adapt to their organization through the process of socialization. Students' socializing in the actual world of practice is seen as a significant contribution to their learning experience and may thus be seen as a critical aspect that helps students' learning. A sense of belonging and being a part of the culture is important to students. This is consistent with the idea of newcomer adaptation in organizational socialization literature, in which the outsider is turned into an "insider." (Houghton, 2014).
Moreover, Extracurricular activities, according to the research, are helpful. It gives them a social outlet while also providing them with the confidence they need. The social component is the major gain, and the changes are evident. Extracurricular activities offer ELLs a safe learning environment in which they may develop their self-confidence. Furthermore, students acquire better work habits and display social and intellectual confidence. (Park, 2015). On the other
hand, going beyond those subjects is where students may find extra tools and experiences that will help them have a more rewarding educational experience and acquire even more talents that will benefit them in their lives beyond high school (Donroe, 2020).
Language is how a person can communicate their thoughts and feelings. Language acquisition shows that interaction is a critical component of language learning (Mitchell, 2015); However, relying solely on one's mother tongue may no longer meet this need, emphasizing the importance of studying useful other languages and, as a result, receiving a quality English education. For many students, acquiring a second or foreign language may be complicated.
Anxiety has been identified as a significant barrier for language learners (Naser et al., 2019). A third to half of the students experience severe language anxiety levels (Zheng, 2018).
Meanwhile, Co-curricular Activities (CCAs) such as debate, speech, quiz, recitation, role play, and magazine writings assist learners to feel secure in their English skills and therefore overcome their phobia of utilizing a foreign language. (Chakraborty et al., 2021). Furthermore, CCAs provide an environment where learners feel framed by the language, resulting in a positive attitude toward learning even a foreign language. Students from immigrant families are a quickly growing segment of the US population, and extracurricular activities can be a valuable resource for first generation immigrant youth. Due to a lack of social capital, first-generation youth may be at-risk of earning lower grades, despite their desire to succeed (Camacho, 2015).
Research by James D. Mitchell looked at the link between extracurricular activities and ESL student achievement in an intense English language program. Several aspects, including self-esteem, retention, and grade point average, have been connected to extracurricular and co- curricular activities. According to research on second language acquisition, meaningful interaction between people who speak the target language will improve a student's competence. As a result, an ESL student's continued participation in an intensive English program might
influence their academic achievement and competence. Four advanced-level ESL students participating in an intense English language program on the west coast of the United States have been documented in this study. Face-to-face interviews and an examination of each student's academic transcript are utilized to examine if there is a link between the students' academic engagement in co-curricular activities. Notably, several types of research imply that extracurricular activities may benefit disadvantaged people. Active involvement in activities has confirmed the idea that students will be more successful if they participate in social and academic experiences. (Camacho, 2015). CCAs are also linked to language learning since they create new phenomena by interpreting diverse language abilities. When it comes to studying English as a Foreign Language, CCAs are quite helpful since they guide students into real-life situations where the language is used. Additional exercises in EFL learning help learners overcome their anxiety about a language coming from a different culture. (Chakraborty et al., 2021).