Gender gaps in English as a second language over time: a shift in favour of boys

Abstract

Increasing evidence across countries has highlighted the improvement in girls’ educational performance relative to boys’ performance. This study investigated the development of gender gaps in English as a second or additional languagewith L2 population-level data from Norway, covering 1,101,807 students from 2007 to 2018. Using national tests in L2 English language proficiency at ages 10 and 13, we found a gradual shift in favour of boys, with boys outperforming girls by 0.12–0.16 standard deviations in 2018. When using high-stakes overall achievement and exam grades in written and oral L2 English language proficiency, measured at age 15, girls continued to outperform boys, with no such shift. However, when comparing gender differences in L2 English relative to L1 Norwegian (official language, national reading tests and grades), all measures shifted in favour of boys. These findings suggest that boys’ earlier gains in L2 English may also have improved their grades, although not sufficiently to decrease the gender gap.