The effect of gender and cultural factors on student language acquisition. (c2009)

Abstract

Performance has always been a tell-tale sign of success, be it in the world of academia or otherwise. To this effect, the growing disparity in academic performance among girls and boys, coupled with the higher incidence of poor self esteem in the former and the increasing high school drop out rates of the latter have proven quite alarming to academicians and educators alike. Where an extensive corpus of literature seems to indicate that the reason lies in 'nature', that is, girls will tend to outperform their male counterparts in certain areas, due to certain natural capabilities and dispositions, while boys rank higher in other subjects for the same reasons, this explanation seems unsubstantial as a singular cause. Consequently, it is believed that other underlying factors of extensive influence, such as culture, schools, teachers, families and peer groups are stimuli that seem to partake in shaping gender-based performance results. Thus, the aim of this research is to shed light on the impact of culture along with the above mentioned factors that are thought to hinder performance differentially among girls and boys. Where a university student sample was surveyed, observed and interviewed, results seemed to indicate that indeed, the above mentioned factors did divergently alter performance and the respective attitudes among gender.