http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl Reading in a Foreign Language September 2024, Volume 36, No. 1 ISSN 1539-0578 pp. 1–5 https://hdl.handle.net/10125/67469 Media-Related Out-of-School Contact with English in Germany and Switzerland Frequency, Forms and the Effect on Language Learning by Maleika Krüger Kai Zhong Universiti Putra Malaysia Malaysia Ling Yann Wong Universiti Putra Malaysia Malaysia Aim of the Book The advent of the internet and technological advancements have dramatically transformed global communication, making English-dominated media readily accessible globally. Meanwhile, it encourages people from non-English-speaking countries to be exposed to and in contact with the English language through various media (Xue & Zuo, 2013). Previous studies have explored extensive exposure to English-language media outside of formal education settings among adolescents in some European countries; however, substantial empirical evidence remains limited for countries like Germany and Switzerland (e.g., Waller et al., 2016). Therefore, in her book Media-Related Out-of-School Contact with English in Germany and Switzerland Frequency, Forms and the Effect on Language Learning, Krüger (2023) aimed to investigate the frequency, forms, and impact of media-related out-of-school English contacts in Germany and Switzerland on language learning. Structure of the Book The book is comprised of eight chapters. Chapter 1, “Introduction,” provides a concise research background of media-related extramural English contacts and outlines three research questions to be addressed: (a) Which forms and frequencies of media-related extramural English contacts do German and Swiss adolescents have? (b) How do socio-economic background and gender influence the pattern and frequency of media-related extramural English contacts? (c) How do media-related extramural English contacts influence students’ language competences? It also introduces implications for educational stakeholders, describes the research methodology (including samples and data collection), and explains the organization of the volume. Chapter 2, “The Media Landscape in Germany and Switzerland,” elaborates on the engagement with English-language media in Europe, which includes the definition of media, the description of more traditional media forms and recent market-dominating media platforms, and previous studies on interaction with media among various samples collected in European countries. Zhong & Wong: Media-related out-of-school contact with English by Maleika Krüger Reading in a Foreign Language 36(1) 2 Chapter 3, “The Digital Divide,” covers disparities in media engagement among people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds by using Bourdieu’s theory of class distinction and social habitus (Bourdieu, 1983, 1987). In addition, this chapter also provides an overview of media use across different genders in Germany and Switzerland. Chapter 4, “Theory of Second Language Acquisition,” focuses on the theories related to incidental language learning, such as Krashen’s input hypothesis (1985, 1989), Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory (1978) and Swain’s output hypothesis (2000, 2005). Furthermore, this chapter provides a discussion and a summary of previous research concerning incidental language learning through reading, listening, watching, online communication, gaming as well as multiple media channels. Chapter 5, “Data,” then details the sampling process, test procedures, language evaluation and instruments. The sample was comprised of 2,847 upper secondary students from Germany and Switzerland. This study involved a longitudinal evaluation of students’ competencies in reading, listening, and writing across two separate time intervals, utilizing reading and listening test items from the German National Assessment (Köller et al., 2010) and writing tasks from the ETS TOEFL iBT pool. Moreover, this section also centers on the instruments measuring the participants’ socio-economic background, gender, as well as extramural English contacts through media content, employing the Assessment of Student Achievements in German and English as a Foreign Language (Wagner et al., 2009) and a self-developed questionnaire by the author. Chapter 6, “Results,” provides the results for each research question in three subchapters. The first subchapter reveals the frequency of media-related extramural English contacts among adolescents in Germany and Switzerland in the aspects of listening to music, radio, and audiobooks, as well as surfing online, watching movies, TV series, and TV shows, reading books, magazines, and newspapers, and gaming—with findings ordered by popularity. It also presents reasons for extramural English contact as well as patterns of media-related extramural English contact. The second subchapter looks at the participants’ frequencies and forms of media-related extramural English contact, taking into account factors such as socio-economic background and gender. The findings showed that higher socio-economic status positively influenced engagement with English media content, with males favoring online videos and gaming while females engaging more in communication and reading. The third subchapter presents the positive correlation between media-related extramural English contacts and students’ language competencies, specifically in reading, writing, and listening skills. Chapter 7, “Summary and Discussion,” presents a summary and discussion of the key findings of the current study, integrating them into the existing theoretical framework. Mirroring the structure of Chapter 6, it also divides the discussion into three subchapters, aligning them with the research questions. In addition, this chapter deals with limitations and suggestions for future research along with pedagogical implications. Finally, Chapter 8, “Conclusion,” offers a concise recapitulation of the significant points discussed in the earlier chapters by the author. Reviewer Commentary It is praiseworthy that the author carefully structured the book into chapters and subchapters in alignment with the research questions. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 of the book are precisely the problem statement and literature review for research questions one, two and three respectively. Taking Chapter 2, “The Media Landscape in Germany and Switzerland,” as an example, the author starts Zhong & Wong: Media-related out-of-school contact with English by Maleika Krüger Reading in a Foreign Language 36(1) 3 with a brief introduction, followed by a subchapter on the detailed description of the contact with English media content in Europe. Subsequently, there is a subchapter focusing on the previous literature on this topic, and the last subchapter concludes with the development of a hypothesis related to the first research question. This structured approach is consistently applied in Chapters 3 and 4 as well. Readers interested in concentrating on a single aspect—be it socio-economic background and media-related extramural English contacts or incidental language learning through such contacts—can do so without the necessity to follow the book in sequence or rely on information from other chapters. Therefore, we can see the author’s attempt to make the book reader-friendly. In addition, the author provides a comprehensive review of the relevant literature, emphasizing the depth of the research and reinforcing the arguments presented. For instance, Chapter 4 features an exhaustive examination of language learning theories, including Krashen’s Input Hypothesis (1985, 1989), Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory (1978), and Swain’s Output Hypothesis (2000, 2005), providing a robust foundation. Regarding methodology, the author employs a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques. This includes the use of well-established assessments, reliable questionnaires and interviews, all supported by a sufficiently large sample size. Concerning the figures and tables, the author has meticulously organized and presented them within the results section, ensuring clarity and accessibility of the presented data. Furthermore, this book excels in comprehensively addressing an immense amount of information on the topic of extramural English learning through media. It serves as a remarkable asset for language instructors, researchers, and parents who are interested in media-related extramural English contacts in the contexts of Germany and Switzerland. The book provides invaluable insight into the frequency and forms of extramural English contact by students in upper secondary education. Krüger recommends readers who would like to explore extramural English contacts and language learning, particularly in the areas of listening, reading, and writing, since in this book, speaking is beyond the scope of the study. However, one of the drawbacks is the lack of the presentation of the listening, reading and writing items in language assessment. It would be more informative for readers if the detailed assessment items were presented in the methodology section. In addition, when assessing the physical aspects of this book, it is noteworthy that while the cover design is sleek and modern, the choice of white text for “Forms and the Effect on Language Learning” on a light background may pose readability challenges for some readers. Enhancing the contrast between the text and its background could significantly improve visibility, ensuring that all potential readers can appreciate the book at first glance. To conclude, although some shortcomings were noted previously, it represents a significant contribution to the extensive array of existing literature on media contact and language learning. References Bourdieu, P. (1983). Ökonomisches kapital, kulturelles kapital, soziales kapital [Economic capital, cultural capital, social capital]. In R. Kreckel (Ed.), Soziale ungleichheiten. Soziale welt [Social Inequalities. Social world] (pp. 183–198). Schwartz. Bourdieu, P. (1987). Die feinen unterschiede. Kritik der gesellschaftlichen urteilskraft [Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste]. Suhrkamp. Zhong & Wong: Media-related out-of-school contact with English by Maleika Krüger Reading in a Foreign Language 36(1) 4 Köller, O., Knigge, M., & Tesch, B. (2010). Sprachliche kompetenzen im Ländervergleich [Language competences in Germany]. Waxmann. Krashen, S. (1985). The Input Hypothesis: Issues and implications. Longman. Krashen, S. (1989). We acquire vocabulary and spelling by reading: Additional evidence for the Input Hypothesis. The Modern Language Journal, 73(4), 440–464. Krüger, M. (2023). Media-related out-of-school contact with English in Germany and Switzerland. Springer VS Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-42408-4 Swain, M. (2000). The Output Hypothesis and beyond: Mediating acquisition through collaborative dialogue. In J. P. Lantolf (Ed.), Sociocultural Theory and second language learning (pp. 97–114). Oxford University Press. Swain, M. (2005). The Output Hypothesis: Theory and research. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning (pp. 471–483). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. Development of higher psychological processes. (Keine Angabe). University Press. Wagner, W., Helmke, A., & Rösner, E. (2009). Deutsch Englisch Schülerleistungen International. Dokumentation der Erhebungsinstrumente für Schülerinnen und Schüler, Eltern und Lehrkräfte [German English Student Performance Internationally. Documentation of the Assessment Instruments for Students, Parents, and Teachers]. Materialien zur Bildungsforschung [Educational Research Materials]: 25/1. GFPF; DIPF. Waller, G., Willemse, I., Genner, S., Suter, L., & Süss, D. (2016). JAMES-Jugend, Aktivitäten, Medien- Erhebung Schweiz [JAMES-Youth, Activities, and Media Survey Switzerland]. Zürich: Züricher Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften [Zurich: Zurich University of Applied Sciences]. Xue, J., & Zuo, W. (2013). English dominance and its influence on international communication. Theory and Practice in Language Study, 3(12), 2262–2266. https://doi.org/10.4304/tpls.3.12.2262-2266 About the Authors Kai Zhong is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree with Universiti Putra Malaysia in the field of literacy studies. His research interests include foreign language reading and Chinese linguistics. E-mail: zhongkaisegi@gmail.com Ling Yann Wong received her Ph.D. degree in Chinese linguistics and philology from Peking University, China. She is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Foreign Languages at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Her research interests include Chinese phonology and phonetics, Chinese dialectology, and Chinese historical linguistics. E-mail: wonglynn@upm.edu.my https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-42408-4 https://doi.org/10.4304/tpls.3.12.2262-2266 mailto:zhongkaisegi@gmail.com mailto:wonglynn@upm.edu.my Zhong & Wong: Media-related out-of-school contact with English by Maleika Krüger Reading in a Foreign Language 36(1) 5 Information about the Book Author(s) Maleika Krüger Title Media-Related Out-of-School Contact with English in Germany and Switzerland Frequency, Forms and the Effect on Language Learning Publication date August 23, 2023 Publisher Springer VS Publisher city and country Berlin, Germany Number of pages 228 ISBN 9783658424077 Price $49.99