چکیده:
Research on teaching and learning English as a foreign
language (EFL) at the undergraduate level has largely
overlooked the significance of learners' socioeconomic
backgrounds. This important variable is also missing in
discussions of individual differences in second language
acquisition. This study examined the socioeconomic status
(SES) of 196 English-major undergraduate learners of
English in relation to their general proficiency and
academic writing ability. All the 196 participants provided
survey data on their socioeconomic backgrounds, took a
proficiency test, and performed an argumentative writing
task that was evaluated by two independent expert raters
on the dimensions of content, organization, vocabulary,
language use, and mechanics. In spite of their similar
background formal literacy experiences, the participants
showed significant differences in both proficiency level
and academic writing ability. Based on the analyses of
variance, learners from high socioeconomic backgrounds
significantly outperformed those from average and low
socioeconomic backgrounds both in their proficiency test
results (df= 2, 193; F=3.769; Sig=.025) and in their
performance on argumentative academic writing(df= 2,
193; F=3.632; Sig= .028). The findings of the study and
the related analyses clearly imply that learners bring with
themselves the sustained effects of socioeconomic
backgrounds to English classes at the undergraduate level.
Stressing increased awareness of English language
learners' socioeconomic influences (instead of
encouraging their total neglect in EFL instruction for
possible risks of class and race determinism) is the major
contribution of the findings of this study. Based on the
results and discussions some remedial pedagogical
measures in accounting for these differences for the
benefit of the less advantaged learners are suggested