The Role of Peers in Young Learners’ English Learning

Abstract

Background and purpose: We know relatively little about the dynamic influence of multiple social/contextual factors on young EFL learners’ English learning. As part of a larger longitudinal project in China, this study focuses on the role of peers in young learners’ English learning in relation to their socioeconomic status (SES). This study is unique in that it employed social network analyses in combination with other quantitative and qualitative analyses. Methods: This study was based on two sets of longitudinal data spanning three years, consisting of a primary school cohort (followed from Grades 4 to 6) and a secondary school cohort (followed from Grades 7 to 9). Each cohort consisted of approximately 200 students. We collected survey data concerning the participants’ peer relationships as well as their performance in learning English. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted among focus group students each year. Findings: Peer relationships had more significant and varied associations with young students’ English learning as they grew older. Such relations were also associated with their SES. Whereas students at a higher SES school were increasingly clustered around English achievement and expanded their peer relationships outside of their class boundaries, students’ networks at a lower SES school were relatively self-contained and less connected to various English learning resources. Conclusions: Social/contextual factors, such as peer relationships, have substantial and dynamic associations with young learners’ language learning in instructional settings. Pedagogical suggestions: It is advisable for teachers to pay closer attention to their students’ learning outside of the classroom and to provide their students (particularly those with fewer academic and social resources) with greater opportunities to maximize their learning both inside and outside of the classroom.