The Instrumental Role of Social Context: Investigating Key Environments that Shape Second Language Acquisition

Abstract

This mixed methods study explores how social contexts shape second language (L2) acquisition across three key
learning environments: classrooms, study abroad experiences, and conversation clubs. Quantitative and
qualitative data collected from 160 English learners at four Saudi Arabian universities reveal the central role of
relationships, motivation, identity investment, and anxiety in driving language gains. While classrooms provide
structured skill-building and mitigate anxiety, study abroad fosters authentic communicative necessity.
Conversation clubs leverage peer bonds for low-stakes linguistic risk-taking. Thus, integrated programming
blending these social supports may optimize outcomes. Notably, individual variability emerged around
acculturation patterns, demonstrating the need to tailor social scaffolds to learner differences. Study implications
encompass elevating affective, interpersonal dimensions in pedagogy on par with linguistic ones, given social
ecology's instrumental impact substantiated across datasets