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k:ONturen –Absolvent*innenforum

No. SH, 6/2026 (2026): Special Issue 6, 2026: Leaving the Comfort Zone: International Perspectives on Linguistic Risk-Taking

Linguistic Risk-Taking in Elementary School: Importance and Design of the Learning Environment

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18716/ojs/kON/2026.s6.9
Submitted
February 27, 2025
Published
2026-05-22

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the influence of the learning environment on linguistic risk-taking among elementary school students. The study is divided into two phases. The first phase consists of developing practical ideas for the classroom based on a literature review. The second phase contains semi-structured expert interviews with two elementary school English teachers. The findings suggest that a positive classroom environment, feedback, and a positive attitude toward mistakes can support linguistic risk-taking. Furthermore, the proposed practical ideas, the English Experiment Corner and Tootling, may support linguistic risk-taking among young learners. Consequently, the learning environment can contribute to promoting linguistic risk-taking in elementary school.