Enjoyment, Boredom, Anxiety and Extramural English Engagement in Swiss EFL Lower Secondary School Learners

This mixed-methods study, grounded in the Control-Value Theory (CVT) of educational psychology and the Broaden-and-Build Theory, examines the relationship between Extramural English (EE) and the emotional dimensions of Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE), Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA) and Foreign Language Classroom Boredom (FLCB) in a Swiss lower secondary EFL context. It also explores correlations among these three achievement emotions. The study included 192 students from the German-speaking cantons of Zug and St. Gallen, comprising native speakers (NS, n = 26) and non-native speakers (NNS, n = 166). Quantitative data were collected via validated Likert-scale questionnaires, while qualitative responses provided deeper insights into classroom experiences. Key findings reveal that EE engagement is high, particularly through gaming, social media, and video streaming, but it does not significantly correlate with FLE. A significant negative correlation was found between EE and FLCA, indicating that greater EE exposure is associated with reduced anxiety. Additionally, a weak but significant positive correlation was found between EE and FLCB, indicating that higher EE exposure is marginally associated with increased classroom boredom. FLE and FLCB show a relatively large negative correlation, indicating that FLE decreases as FLCB increases. Furthermore, FLE and FLCA exhibit a weak and statistically non-significant negative relationship, suggesting minimal overlap between these two emotions. Finally, NS students report significantly lower FLCA than NNS, while no significant difference in FLCB and FLE levels is observed between the two groups.