Obtaining reliable and valid data on extramural English (EE) use among early Danish learners: a methodological challenge

The presentation is part of a PhD project on Danish children’s use of English outside the classroom via different media such as music, television and gaming. Looking at children ages 7-11, the project, among other things, focuses on the possible effect of English language exposure in terms of amount of exposure; will children using English language media extensively know more English than children who do not? Data on EE use will be obtained via questionnaires and language diaries. The present presentation will discuss the results and possible implications of a language diary pilot study conducted with young Danish learners of English: 1st graders and 3rd graders. Two different diaries have been piloted and it must be decided which diary to use in the actual study. The language diary will be used in the main study with 420 Danish children the coming fall in order to track their EE use for a week. Questionnaire data has already been obtained on EE use but with a very low return rate (155 children), thus making the language diary data vital for the study. Apart from presenting the findings of the pilot, the presentation will discuss challenges in obtaining data on EE.