The effects of age factor on learning English language : a case study of Sudanese private and public secondary schools in Khartoum state, Sudan

الملخص EN

The current paper aims at studying the age factor in Sudanese public schools and private schools where the starting age differs in both.

Also, it aims at finding out whether the late or early starting of learning English language influences the learner's acquisition to language.

Moreover, the study aims at showing the difference between learners of English language in private schools and learners in public schools.

The tools used for data collection were questionnaire for EFL Sudanese teachers and a test for Sudanese secondary school students.

The research was conducted with a total of 30 male students attending Sudanese public schools and private schools.

By using the mixed-method research approaches, the findings revealed that most respondents agree that the early learners are better than late ones, that is to say that students of private schools who start learning English at an early age had better mastery of English than those of public-school students who start at a late age.

Finally, the study recommended that investigating the effects of age factor on learning English language is a very important phenomenon and may apply in other countries such Egypt, Saudi Arabia etc.

This study is the first of its kind to investigate the effects of age factor on learning English language, particularly, in the context of Arab countries.