Exploring out-of-class contexts in EFL learning: Romanian high school students' perspectives and practices

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35824/sjrs.v8i2.27674

Keywords:

Out-of-class contexts, English as a Foreign Language, High school students, Informal language learning, Personal learning ecologies, Communicative language teaching

Abstract

This study explores the role of out-of-class contexts (OOCCs) in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning among Romanian high school students, emphasizing how informal environments complement formal instruction. Data from 125 students across four public schools reveals active engagement with English through media consumption, gaming, and social media, enhancing vocabulary, listening comprehension, and speaking confidence. Informal settings provide low-anxiety opportunities for meaningful communication and experimentation. Motivation plays a pivotal role, with students linking English proficiency to future opportunities. Personal learning ecologies, such as online reading and conversations with others, foster development within supportive spaces. The study advocates integrating OOCCs into formal instruction to bridge theoretical and practical knowledge, creating a holistic learning environment aligned with learners’ interests and real-world needs.

 

Author Biographies

Elena Meștereagă, "Nicolaus Olahus" Technological High School, Orăștie, Romania

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/NCS-1231-2025

Elena Meștereagă, received her PhD from the Doctoral School of Humanities, West University of Timisoara, in 2019. She currently teaches English at “Nicolaus Olahus” Technological High School in Orăștie. Her primary research areas are linguistics and Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Dr. Meștereagă is the author of The Role of out-of-class contexts in EFL Learning (2021) has contributed to various studies and articles, including Use of English as a Social Identity Marker in Romania: Promoting English as a Foreign Language (EFL) 2017, Out-of-class Use of English and EFL Learning in Romania 2017, Integrating the Social Context and Learning Ecologies of Digital Natives in EFL Teaching Approaches 2019. With over 17 years of experience teaching English to students from the first grade to high school, she has extensive expertise in EFL pedagogy and research. E-mail: elena.mestereaga@gmail.com

Daniel Dejica, Politehnica University Timisoara, Romania

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/K-4639-2013

https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57194623783

UEFISCDI ID (UEF-ID): U-1700-039C-8022

Daniel Dejica, PhD, habil., Professor in the Department of Communication and Foreign Languages and Dean of the Faculty of Communication Sciences, Politehnica University Timișoara. PhD supervisor, affiliated to the Doctoral School of Humanities, West University of Timișoara. Director of the Center for Advanced Translation Studies (PoliCAT) within Politehnica University Timișoara. His didactic and research interests include translation, discourse analysis, intercultural and interlinguistic communication. He was part of the Doctoral Studies Committee of the European Society for Translation Studies (2009-2018). He coordinates the Translation Studies book series within the Politehnica Publishing House, the Professional Communication and Translation Studies international conference, and is part of the editorial or scientific boards of numerous scientific journals. Together with Muguraș Constantinescu and Titela Vîlceanu, he coordinates A History of Translations in Romanian, a series of volumes published by the Publishing House of the Romanian Academy. Personal website: https://sites.google.com/view/daniel-dejica/ ; E-mail: daniel.dejica@upt.ro

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Published

2025-05-15

How to Cite

Meștereagă, E., & Dejica, D. (2025). Exploring out-of-class contexts in EFL learning: Romanian high school students’ perspectives and practices. Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies, 8(2), 229–240. https://doi.org/10.35824/sjrs.v8i2.27674