Maternal Scaffolding of Iranian Children’s Extramural Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE): A Qualitative Study

Previous research has acknowledged that informal digital learning of English (IDLE) between parents and children can play an important role in children’s first and second language (L1 and L2) learning. However, most previous parent–child studies have been conducted in Western countries where English is the child’s first language. This study aimed to understand how Iranian children learn English as an L2 in a home context through mother–child home digital experiences. Five Iranian families which included six children, aged 6 to 7 years old, and their mothers were recruited as participants to explore mother–child IDLE experiences. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and observations of mother–child L2 English interactions with popular culture using Video-Stimulated Recall (VSR) methods. The overall findings revealed children are interested in popular culture (e.g., playing Lego Jurassic World as a digital game, watching Princess Mononoke as an animation, and engaging with Drawing for Kids applications in English) and their dominant Discourses at home were gaming, narration, female role-modeling, music, and artistic experiences. Moreover, the findings showed that the role of mothers as scaffolders is essential for enhancing their children's learning at home, whether by asking questions or helping children discuss their favorite popular culture. However, maternal scaffolding can be improved by providing mothers with guidance to effectively support their children’s IDLE which can further enhance their children’s learning outcomes.