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Challenging assumptions about migrant language use : Evidence from a Swedish study with the Experience Sampling Method and the Lang-Track-App

Arndt, Henriette L. LU orcid ; Geraerds, Emma M.E ; Granfeldt, Jonas LU orcid and Gullberg, Marianne LU orcid (2026) In Applied Linguistics
Abstract
In an era of global migration, where public discourse often assumes that migrants lack exposure to and command of local majority language(s), it is a crucial research task to understand how migrants learn and use new languages in their everyday lives. This study provides empirical evidence about the quantity and nature of everyday language exposure and use (LEU) among migrants in Sweden. Using the Experience Sampling Method and the Lang-Track-App, we collected rich self-report data across three weeks from 45 adult migrants with diverse backgrounds. Group-level quantitative analyses revealed that, despite considerable individual variation and occasional linguistic challenges, Swedish was the most used language across a broad range of... (More)
In an era of global migration, where public discourse often assumes that migrants lack exposure to and command of local majority language(s), it is a crucial research task to understand how migrants learn and use new languages in their everyday lives. This study provides empirical evidence about the quantity and nature of everyday language exposure and use (LEU) among migrants in Sweden. Using the Experience Sampling Method and the Lang-Track-App, we collected rich self-report data across three weeks from 45 adult migrants with diverse backgrounds. Group-level quantitative analyses revealed that, despite considerable individual variation and occasional linguistic challenges, Swedish was the most used language across a broad range of self-reported daily activities. Complementary qualitative analysis of two cases illustrated the nuanced and fluctuating nature of LEU, which did not align predictably with structural factors such as employment, student status, or social networks. Instead, LEU appeared to emerge through dynamic interplay between individual agency and contextual affordances. These findings challenge prevailing narratives about migrants’ limited contact with the majority language and underscore the value of capturing LEU through temporally and contextually sensitive methods. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
Second language acquisition, SLA, input, lang-track-app, ESM
in
Applied Linguistics
article number
amag023
pages
21 pages
publisher
Oxford University Press
ISSN
1477-450X
DOI
10.1093/applin/amag023
project
THE LANG-TRACK-APP: Studying exposure to and use of a new language using smartphone technology
Transdisciplinary Approaches to Learning, Acquisition, Multilingualism (TEAM)
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
721ea877-12c5-47e3-b409-ca1013eafcb5
date added to LUP
2026-04-16 10:31:42
date last changed
2026-04-27 15:28:44
@article{721ea877-12c5-47e3-b409-ca1013eafcb5,
  abstract     = {{In an era of global migration, where public discourse often assumes that migrants lack exposure to and command of local majority language(s), it is a crucial research task to understand how migrants learn and use new languages in their everyday lives. This study provides empirical evidence about the quantity and nature of everyday language exposure and use (LEU) among migrants in Sweden. Using the Experience Sampling Method and the Lang-Track-App, we collected rich self-report data across three weeks from 45 adult migrants with diverse backgrounds. Group-level quantitative analyses revealed that, despite considerable individual variation and occasional linguistic challenges, Swedish was the most used language across a broad range of self-reported daily activities. Complementary qualitative analysis of two cases illustrated the nuanced and fluctuating nature of LEU, which did not align predictably with structural factors such as employment, student status, or social networks. Instead, LEU appeared to emerge through dynamic interplay between individual agency and contextual affordances. These findings challenge prevailing narratives about migrants’ limited contact with the majority language and underscore the value of capturing LEU through temporally and contextually sensitive methods.}},
  author       = {{Arndt, Henriette L. and Geraerds, Emma M.E and Granfeldt, Jonas and Gullberg, Marianne}},
  issn         = {{1477-450X}},
  keywords     = {{Second language acquisition; SLA; input; lang-track-app; ESM}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Applied Linguistics}},
  title        = {{Challenging assumptions about migrant language use : Evidence from a Swedish study with the Experience Sampling Method and the Lang-Track-App}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/applin/amag023}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/applin/amag023}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}