Exploring motivation and agency in informal contact with English : an emic investigation of Italian university students

Includes bibliographical references.

The book delves into the evolving landscape of English language exposure ininformal settings, focussing on how Italian university students access Englishinput during their leisure time. Drawing on interviews conducted at a middlesizeduniversity in northern Italy, it investigates why students voluntarily immersethemselves in English content outside of educational contexts and the languageacquisition factors involved. As digital technologies and streaming platformsmake English media more accessible, the opportunities for incidental languagelearning expand, offering promising potential for enhancing proficiency.The book emphasises the significant role of individual motivation - both intrinsicand extrinsic - and personal agency in shaping how students navigate theseopportunities.

Grounded in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research, Self-Determination Theory (SDT), and Bandura's social cognitive framework, thework explores variability among learners, demonstrating that not all benefitequally from informal contact with English, especially when dealing with complexspoken input. The analysis, supported by case studies and interviews, uncoversboth common and individualised patterns of behaviour. Exploring Motivationand Agency in Informal Contact with English offers valuable insights foreducators, researchers, and students, shedding light on how fostering awareness ofmotivation and agency can help learners make the most of the rich opportunitiesprovided by informal English exposure. [Publisher's text]