Integrating extramural English: Developing stronger communicative proficiency in universities & colleges

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Introduction

As universities & colleges seek to internationalise, English is becoming established as the de facto common medium of instruction, communication, & participation. English language teachers in EAP departments frequently note that students have broad repertoires of vocabulary & can parse complex grammar structures with ease, yet struggle to express themselves confidently when real communication is required. This gap between formal instruction & communicative competence affects students’ ability to participate in English as a medium of instruction programmes, employability, & international mobility as higher & further education institutions.

A growing body of research now points to extramural English, the English students engage with outside the classroom, as an effective but as yet under-defined language learning & development strategy in this challenge. Some students are already turning to music, online content, games, extensive reading, & informal conversations to compensate for the typical shortcomings of their classroom instruction. Although they are commonly perceived as periphery extras for “mere practice,” we now have empirical evidence that indicates just how much these activities contribute to language development & communicative competence.

This evidence presents opportunities to expand options & also to give more specific & targeted guidance for students. When institutions recognise & cultivate out-of-class English engagement, they can help students convert scattered personal habits into structured, high-impact accelerators of communicative competence & language proficiency.

What students are doing & what it means for us

A new study has validated the first extramural English scale, giving us some much needed clarity about students’ out-of-class English activities (Uztosun & Sundqvist, 2025). Given tendencies among students from previous surveys about study habits, i.e. they tend to opt for the easiest, most “feel good” learning activities (Bjork et al., 2013), the patterns are somewhat predicable: Students overwhelmingly favour receptive, entertainment-based activities (See Table 1, below), e.g. listening to music, watching videos, & browsing online content, while productive activities, e.g. writing creatively, producing digital content, sustained reading, sit at the bottom of the scale.

Table 1: How frequent or popular were the Extramural English activities among Turkish students? (n=67, Likert scale 1-7) (Uztosun & Sundqvist, 2025)

Categories	Mean	SD
Music	5.85	1.27
Googling & viewing	5.36	1.55
Internalised	4.63	1.75
Social interaction	3.6	1.69
Reading & listening	3.23	1.46
Gaming	3.18	1.77
Social reading & listening	2.91	1.72
Digital creativity	2.21	1.65
Writing	2.06	1.35
Overall mean:	3.65	1.21

The picture reflects what many EAP teachers typically observe: strong receptive knowledge paired with weak productive skills. Students are immersed in the language, but rarely challenged to express their knowledge, skills, & attitudes in English. However, the classroom is no longer their only learning space & now extends into their practice in extramural contexts, thanks to the more widespread availability of media & opportunities for English language use. This is where students can benefit greatly by upgrading from receptive engagement to productive communicative competence.

Extramural English predicts real gains

Regression analyses of study data (Uztosun & Sundqvist, 2025) have shown that the total extramural English engagement significantly predicts both overall proficiency &, most significantly, speaking performance. Nearly a fifth of the difference in students’ speaking scores can be explained simply by their out-of-class English habits. This is not a coincidental correlation but a clear demonstration that extramural English is already doing much of the communicative heavy lifting (See Table 2, below).

Even more striking is the role of Internalised English, the habit of thinking, daydreaming, or talking to oneself in English (self-speech & inner-speech). This cognitive engagement shows large correlations with both speaking ability (r=.57) & overall proficiency (r=.54). In other words, one of the most powerful contributors to fluency development costs nothing, requires no technology, & depends only on habit formation. If teachers & institutions can help students cultivate that internal voice, the return on investment is substantial.

(See the appendix below for more details about the survey questions & explanations of the typical related extramural English activities.)

Table 2: Correlations of extramural English activities with overall English proficiency (Uztosun & Sundqvist, 2025)

Extramural English category	Effect size
Internalised	r=.538
Music	r=.487
Reading & listening	r=.437
Social interaction	r=.388
Writing	r=.37
Social reading & listening	r=.338
Googling & viewing	r=.328

Disaggregated effect sizes

The following tables present disaggregated effect sizes showing how different categories of extramural English activities correlate with proficiency in listening, reading, writing, & speaking. The analyses reveal a consistent pattern: Internalised activities show the strongest associations across all skills, especially for speaking, where the effect is notably strong (r =.57). Music & Reading & listening also demonstrate medium effects across the three proficiency areas, suggesting they are valuable for broad language development. Activities involving social interaction & writing show smaller but still meaningful contributions, while Social reading & listening & especially Googling & viewing generally display the weakest correlations. Overall, the tables highlight clear & skill-specific variations in how different kinds of out-of-class English exposure support developing language proficiency & communicative competence.

Guide to strength of effect sizes:

> r.5 = strong

r.3-r.5 = medium

r.1-r.3 = weak

Reading & listening

Table 3: Correlations of extramural English activities with listening & reading proficiency in rank order

Extramural English category	Effect size
Internalised	r=.394
Music	r=.34
Reading & listening	r=.315
Social interaction	r=.258
Writing	r=.247
Social reading & listening	r=.229
Googling & viewing	r=.212

Writing

Table 4: Correlations of extramural English activities with writing proficiency in rank order

Extramural English category	Effect size
Internalised	r=.332
Music	r=.323
Reading & listening	r=.271
Social interaction	r=.245
Writing	r=.217
Social reading & listening	r=.122
Googling & viewing	r=.05

Speaking

Table 5: Correlations of extramural English activities with speaking proficiency in rank order

Extramural English category	Effect size
Internalised	r=.57
Music	r=.424
Reading & listening	r=.39
Social interaction	r=.364
Writing	r=.359
Social reading & listening	r=.315
Googling & viewing	r=.297

Why this matters for teachers & academic managers

For years, extramural English use has been treated as an optional hobby; a pleasant but peripheral supplement to “real” learning. The evidence now pushes us toward a different conclusion, that extramural English is an effective, measurable strategy. Students who engage more with English outside the classroom learn faster, speak better, & perform more strongly on institutional exams.

More pro-active & engaged students are already compensating for gaps in formal education through their informal engagement. The challenge before us is whether further & higher education institutions will continue to let this happen by accident, or whether we will support & encourage it deliberately & systematically.

What institutions can do starting now

A shift in perspective can open the door to practical, low-cost innovation. Teachers & academic managers can incorporate extramural English into existing structures without disrupting curriculum or overloading staff. Three broad moves offer high impact:

Treat extramural English as part of the curriculum rather than a bonus: Assignments tied to music, video, games, or online content allow students to analyse, respond to, & create with the English they already consume. Affinity spaces, e.g. special interest groups, book & film clubs, gaming societies, & fanfiction circles, turn personal interests into collaborative language practice. Assessment that recognises & rewards engagement signals that these activities are academically legitimate.
Equip teachers with the framework: When teachers understand the varied categories of extramural English & how they contribute to language development & communicative competence, they can guide students away from receptive consumption & towards more productive, interactional engagement. Teacher professional development programmes focused on extramural English can help expand teachers’ roles from language knowledge instructors into facilitators of broader language ecosystems.
Make extramural English visible to students: Many students assume extramural English “doesn’t count.” Advising sessions, orientation materials, & awareness campaigns can show students how specific habits translate into exam performance & communicative competence. When they are made aware of the correlations & benefits, their motivation should change.

Conclusion

For higher & further education institutions, extramural English offers something rare in educational reform: a research-informed, low-cost, high-impact strategy that complements classroom instruction, Rather than being perceived as mere practice, it turns what students already enjoy into substantial support for the kinds of communicative skills that EAP programmes typically struggle to produce alone.

Integrating extramural English is not about adding more to teachers’ workloads but amplifying what students are already doing, giving it structure, & building it into a shared pedagogical strategy. In an increasingly internationalised world, where communicative competence defines opportunity, extramural English offers a practical path to getting our learners there faster & far more confidently.

The data is clear, the tools are ready, & some students themselves are already taking the first steps; higher & further education institutions can acknowledge, validate, & support essential language development from extramural English. This is an opportunity for ELT departments & academic managers to lead.

References

Bjork, R. A., Dunlosky, J., & Kornell, N. (2013). Self-Regulated Learning: Beliefs, Techniques, and Illusions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 417–444. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143823

Lindgren, E., & Muñoz, C. (2013). The influence of exposure, parents, and linguistic distance on young European learners’ foreign language comprehension. International Journal of Multilingualism. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14790718.2012.679275

Muñoz, C. (2020). Boys like games and girls like movies: Age and gender differences in out-of-school contact with English. Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics, 33(1), 171–201. https://doi.org/10.1075/resla.18042.mun

Peters, E., Noreillie, A., Heylen, K., Bulté, B., & Desmet, P. (2019). The Impact of Instruction and Out‐of‐School Exposure to Foreign Language Input on Learners’ Vocabulary Knowledge in Two Languages. Language Learning, 69(3), 747–782. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12351

Uztosun, M. S., & Sundqvist, P. (2025). Extramural English in Türkiye: Scale Development, Learner Engagement and L2 English Proficiency. Sage Open, 15(4), 21582440251396680. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251396680

Appendix: Outline of extramural English activities as defined in the questionnaire

Extramural English activity	Definition, examples, & explanation
Internalised	Using English for personal, internal cognitive activities, such as thinking, daydreaming, or talking to oneself in English (inner speech).
	I talk to myself in English. I daydream in English. I think in English.
	These activities reflect the learner’s use of inner speech or verbalised thought in the L2. This concept aligns with sociocultural theory, where inner speech supports cognitive development by helping individuals to internalise language & use it for self-regulation & problem-solving. Internalised was one of the most frequently engaged categories reported by Turkish university students & showed a notably strong correlation with both overall L2 English proficiency & speaking proficiency.
Music	Engaging with English-language music, including listening to songs & watching music videos.
	I watch music clips in English. I sing (along) in English. I listen to music in English. I read the lyrics of songs and/or poems in English. When I listen to an English song, I read the lyrics at the same time.
	Music is consistently shown to be the most popular category among learners. It was one of the only categories that correlated with all four measured proficiency skills (reading, listening, writing, & speaking) & demonstrated a strong correlation with overall L2 English proficiency & speaking proficiency. Despite its popularity, the specific benefits of music for language learning present conflicting findings & require further investigation.
Reading & listening	Engaging in individual reading & listening activities, such as reading books or listening to podcasts alone.
	I read newspapers or magazines (paper or online) in English. I read English books/e-books. I listen to the radio in English. I listen to podcasts in English. I listen to audiobooks in English.
	Research suggests a positive relationship between reading & vocabulary knowledge. This skill-specific activity was found to correlate with reading & listening proficiency. Turkish students reported moderate engagement in these activities.
Social interaction	Communicating with others in English through written (texting) & spoken (talking) channels, seeking opportunities for interaction.
	I make foreign friends and talk with them in English (face to face or online). I talk to others in English, not expecting a response. I send messages and chat in English. I speak in English with people I do not know (in real life or online). I write in English for/to others, expecting a response (written interaction/communication). I talk to others in English, expecting a response (spoken interaction/oral communication). I speak in English with people I know (in real life or online).
	These activities reflect the individual’s effort to seek opportunities for communicative use of English. This aligns with Long’s interaction hypothesis, which stresses interaction as central to language learning, & Papi & Hiver’s feedback-seeking behaviour. Turkish students reported moderate engagement in social interaction.
Writing	Producing various written genres in English, such as blogs, diaries, poems, & creative fanfiction.
	I keep a diary in English. I write blogs in English. I write poems in English. I write in English for/to others, not expecting a response. I write fanfiction in English.
	Writing highlights the creative & collaborative aspects of writing, which can foster L2 development. It was found to be among the least popular activities among Turkish university students (M=2.06). However, writing correlated significantly with writing proficiency.
Social reading & listening	Performing reading & listening activities collaboratively or with others, fostering social participation around media.
	I read in English when I am together with others. I read aloud in English to others. I listen to English when I am with others.
	Beyond individual activities, this factor relates to the creation of affinity spaces, which are social environments where people interact & form communities based on shared interests. These spaces foster language learning through social participation & collaboration. This activity was one of the least frequently engaged activities (M=2.91).
Googling & viewing	Consuming online content by following English-speaking YouTubers/vloggers, watching videos, & using Google for information in English.
	I follow specific English-speaking YouTubers and/or vloggers. I watch videos in English. I google for information in English.
	These activities are consistent with the concept of extensive viewing, providing learners with significant amounts of authentic spoken L2 input. Viewing can contribute to L2 development by increasing exposure to meaningful, contextualised, interesting, & everyday L2 input. Googling & viewing was the second most frequently engaged activity (M=5.36).

Omitted categories

Please note that the sample sizes for the following categories were too small to have sufficient statistical power & so have been omitted. This doesn’t mean that they don’t have strong, positive correlations, only that in this particular study, there wasn’t enough data to draw reliable conclusions.

Extramural English Activity	Definition, examples, & explanation
Digital Creativity	This factor includes items pertaining to creating digital materials. Activities may encompass creating videos, podcasts, & music in English.
	I create digital material in English and share with people I know (for example, videos, podcasts, music). I create digital material in English for myself (for example, videos, podcasts, music). I create digital materials in English and publish online (for example, videos, podcasts, music).
	This factor is defined by whether the created digital materials are shared with others or not. It aligns with the ‘action level’ of human behaviour & may be driven by goal-directed behaviour, such as establishing a community. Among Turkish university students, extramural English Digital Creativity was one of the least popular extramural English activities (M=2.21). In Study 2, extramural English Digital Creativity did not correlate significantly with overall L2 proficiency or speaking proficiency.
Gaming	This factor relates to playing specific games & includes 13 items. Activities can be classified by the specific language skills required (e.g. games that require speaking), by genre (e.g. adventure games), & by whether they involve or do not involve other people (e.g. playing games online with others). It also encompasses items about watching gaming videos & playing non-digital games, such as board games.
	I play games which require speaking in English. I play strategy games (for example, Civilization, Starcraft, Defense of the Ancients). I play games which require writing in English. I play role-playing games (for example, Final Fantasy, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars). I play games which require reading in English. I play games online with others (multiplayer, MMOs) using English. I play first-person shooter games (for example, Call of Duty, Counter-Strike). I play tabletop/board games (not digital) in English. I watch gaming videos and/or live streamers or Let’s Players. I play simulation games (for example, The Sims, SimCity, Farmville). I play games which require listening in English. I play adventure games in English (for example Tomb Raider, Myst, The Walking Dead, Obduction). I play games on my own (single player) using English.
	Gaming is one of the most extensively studied areas of extramural English research. Studies have shown that gameplay can lead to positive correlations with both receptive & productive vocabulary knowledge. Benefits for language learning have also included improvements in complexity, accuracy, & fluency in speaking performances. The positive effects of gaming on vocabulary may stem from gamers using learning strategies like making inferences, using language learning references, & note-taking. Furthermore, L2 gains may be linked to escapism, where immersion in fictional game worlds supports proficiency development. extramural English Gaming showed moderate engagement (M=3.18) among Turkish university students. In Study 2, it did not correlate significantly with overall L2 proficiency or speaking proficiency.