Effects of grade level and gender on foreign language learning process in Bosnian high schools

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the effects of grade level and gender on the process of foreign language learning among high school students. The participants were 125 male (69.7%) and 81 female (39.3%) high school students attending different grades in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The research showed that there is a statistically significant difference between female and male students in the process of foreign language learning, with males experiencing more difficulties in the process. On the other hand, the analysis indicated that grade level does not have a significant effect on foreign language learning, as the students of all grades seemed to encounter similar difficulties in the process. The Pearson correlation coefficient was also measured and it showed a positive correlation between the impact of foreign language learning on the mother tongue and foreign language learning motivation, on the one hand, and the impact of foreign language learning on the mother tongue and the difficulties in using the target language, on the other hand. This paper may be beneficial to any researcher in the field as foreign language learning, English language learning in particular, is rising in its importance in the Bosnian context, where the number of educational institutions in which English is the medium of instruction increases. Thus, research into the difficulties arising in the process should be one of the main aims of language instructors striving to facilitate the process of foreign language learning.

Keywords: Foreign language, foreign language learning, grade level, gender, motivation