Correlation Between Extracurricular and Curricular Exposure to English and FLA Success in Students Learning English for More Than 13 Years

While foreign language acquisition is influenced by individual and contextual factors, learners also acquire language unintentionally through media exposure alongside formal instruction. This study investigates the correlation between curricular and extracurricular exposure and students’ success in foreign language acquisition, evaluated through secondary school, secondary school leaving certificate, and university grades. Data were collected via a questionnaire administered to 40 university students of food technology. Findings reveal that students’ final English grades on the secondary school exit exam and in the first year of university did not differ greatly, despite a 38% decline at the tertiary level. Most participants began learning English in the first grade of primary school and reported spending up to 10 hours weekly engaging with extracurricular content, predominantly through subtitled films, songs, social networks, podcasts, video games, and books. While students largely attributed their success to both curricular and extracurricular exposure, only a weak correlation was found between very early exposure in kindergarten and the highest grade (A). In contrast, a stronger correlation emerged between extracurricular exposure and achieving an A grade on exit and university exams. Consequently, the study concludes that extracurricular exposure contributes to higher English achievements and should not be neglected.