Effect of economic, social and cultural status of students on English language learning and territorial differences

The relationship between socioeconomic-cultural status and school per-formance is a much-debated research topic of international interest. In Italy, the effect of the status is partially associated with the differences between North and South. From the 2017/18 school year, INVALSI data allows in-vestigating these differences also for the English language, which is the most spoken foreign language in the world, given its wide diffusion. Therefore it is of primary importance to investigate the factors that can favor or hinder its acquisition. The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of socioeco-nomic-cultural status (ESCS) on English language competence, comparing five Italian macro-regions: north-west, north-east, center, south, south and islands. Furthermore, we investigated whether this relationship is influenced by gender and immigrant status. The results of the INVALSI English tests (reading and listening), administered in the school year 2018/19 to students in grade eight (lower secondary school) were examined. Statistical analyses were carried out both of a descriptive type, comparing the scores on the English tests, and of an inferential type, using regression analysis models. Results showed that the influence of the ESCS-s on the English tests varies according to the type of test (reading or listening) and the macro-regions. Moreover, ESCS-s, gender, and immigrant status impact performances. Overall, the results allow us to reflect on the complexity of the relationship between status and competence in the English language and on strategies to reduce educational inequalities in this area.