Variability in young learners’ English proficiency gains: The impact of learning context and learner background factors

Although research on young learners’ (YL) second language (L2) proficiency gains is on the rise, few studies have investigated YLs’ language progression in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context from a longitudinal perspective and the effects of background variables on their learning outcomes. This current study examined YL’s English proficiency gains over 6 months. It further investigated how the gains in proficiency were related to the learners’ educational context and background variables. In total, 110 YLs from three distinct educational settings in Mexico took the TOEFL® Primary tests at the beginning and the end of 6 months. They completed a set of background questionnaires at the start, midpoint, and end of the study. Results showed that the learners in the advantaged background with varying resources made significant gains in speaking proficiency throughout the 6 months, while those with limited resources did not. Also, educational context predicted learners’ proficiency gains over time, and low-proficiency learners exhibited more improvement than high-proficiency learners. The findings offer important implications to school administrators and testing agencies.