Henrik Gyllstad och Marie Källkvist har varit medsökande som forskare i ett projekt som blivit tilldelat medel av det norska Forskningsrådet.

Huvudsökande är Pia Sundquist vid Universitetet i Oslo, och det fyraåriga projektet STAGE (STarting AGe and Extramural English) beskrivs på följande sätt i ingressen i ansökan:

This research proposal aims to advance our understanding of the relation between language input and language acquisition by investigating the mechanisms underlying language learning among English‐as‐Foreign‐Language (EFL) learners who are exposed to large amounts of English language input outside of school, but who have different starting ages for formal English instruction. The regions we will investigate are Norway, which has an early start for English in school (grade 1, age 6‐7) and Flanders, which has a late start (grade7, age 12‐13, or grade 8, age 13‐14). This project’s aim is to study whether an early start for formal English instruction has an impact on learners’ language proficiency and language development in input‐rich contexts. We anticipate that the proposed project, STAGE, can have major academic and societal impact. STAGE will produce scientific knowledge of the relative benefits of formal and informal out‐of‐school English, which may affect curricular prioritization on policy level, content in teacher education, and teachers’ practices.

Grattis!