Informal language learning vs. formal language learning : a study on the outcomes of informal language learning strategies

Abstract

This work seeked to verify if informal language learners of English are able to develop the same knowledge and abilities as learners coming from formal environments. Informal language learning is a predominant form of acquiring a language, although it is not recognized as such. The guiding questions in this work are if learners who learn English through informal strategies develop their writing skills similarly as a learner from a formal environment? And what are the possible similarities and the differences formal and informal learners present in their writing? Informal learning occurs in environments of authentic input on the target language, which can be at home, watching a movie or listening to a song, as well as in digital environments (PEMBERTON et al., 2004; SUNDQVIST, 2009). However, writing, especially in a foreign language, is a challenging task that involves many variables such as cohesion, organizational structure, grammatical issues, etc. (LEKI et al., 2008) that go further than simply knowing a language. This is a qualitative study that compared the writings of 6 English language learners, of both formal and informal backgrounds, and aimed at identifying the similarities and differences in outcomes achieved by each group. Their writings were analyzed in terms of cohesion and lexical choice. This research concluded that both formal and informal learners produce similar outcomes in writing in the target language. The main difference between both groups is the role that the age in which the learner begins to study the target language plays in their learning process, since younger learners may have advantages, compared to older ones, due to the age they started learning the target language.