Gender differences in young learners’ English skills in Swedish schools : A study of perceived and actual gender differences in skills, attitude towards and interest in the English language

Sammanfattning: This study examined gender differences in young learners of English in terms of skills, attitude and interest, and teachers’ perceptions of potential gender differences. To examine potential gender differences in skills, a three-part test was conducted with two third grade classes in a school in Sweden. A survey was conducted in the same third grade classes to map the students’ interest and attitude, and structured interviews were conducted with six different teachers to investigate their perception of potential gender differences in skills and interest and attitude. The results revealed that boys’ and girls’ skills were almost equal, although boys at an average acquired a slightly higher level of points in listening and reading comprehension, while more girls wrote at a higher level than boys in the writing assignment. Boys and girls were not equal in their attitude towards and interest in the English language, as girls were more positive towards the language while boys were more confident in their English skills. Teachers perceived no gender difference in interest and attitude, and most perceived none or slight difference in skills.