The Role of Extracurricular Activities in Foreign Language Learning in University Settings

This thesis discusses the role of extracurricular activities in foreign language learning in universities in Canada and Russia. The research study outlines an array of extracurricular activities offered for university students in these two countries, and investigates the opinions of students and language instructors regarding the perceived impact of these activities on students’ language acquisition, cultural acquaintance and language learning motivation. Chapter One provides a review of the history of extracurricular activities in Russia and North America. It explains the reported benefits of these activities and states research questions. Chapter Two contains the description of research methodology applied in the study as well as the description of the sample. Chapter Three provides the results of data analysis and points out significant differences in responses across the subject groups (Russian and Canadian, students and teachers). The results showed significant involvement of students in both countries in extracurricular work, but also identified some problems with organization and managing these activities. In Chapter Four the results are discussed, followed by conclusions that include some practical recommendations for language students and instructors on the most efficient ways of organizing language-related extracurricular activities