Gender differences and equal opportunities in the ESL classroom AH Shehadeh There is good evidence from cross-gender conversations between the various possible combinations of native speakers (NS) and non-native speakers (NNS) to suggest that men and women tend to use conversation for different purposes. It would appear that men take advantage of the conversation in a way that allows them to promote their performance/ production ability, whereas women utilize the conversation to promote their comprehension ability. The main pedagogical conclusion to be drawn from the available evidence is that the ESL/EFL teacher, equipped with a good syllabus and a good methodology, should be able to engineer situations that create equal opportunities for both males and females in all aspects of classroom interaction. However, the article also suggests that more empirical research needs to be done into (a) the origin(s) of gender difference (biological/innate, psychological, or socio-cultural), and (b) its effect on second language learning. Introduction It has generally been assumed in the field of second language 1 (L2) learning and teaching that there are various factors, external and internal, which affect language learning. These factors include the role of the first language, setting differences and the role of instruction, age differences, individual learner differences, and gender differences. The importance of examining these factors is that they might enable us, for instance, to specify the nature of the input that best suits L2 learners' comprehension, and the nature of the output which they produce at a particular stage of their learning. For example, Larsen-Freeman (1985: 434) writes: In input studies, the more we know about the learner—not only his or her LI, but also his or her age, socioeconomic status, target language proficiency, sex, opportunities for interaction with target language speakers, conditions under which the learning took place, etc.—the more we will know about the nature of the input the learner is likely to receive. Knowing the extent to which these factors, gender included, affect L2 learning and teaching may provide us with insights which help L2 teachers make language learning more effective. Viewed from this perspective, it follows that gender differences may have implications for L2 learning, teaching, and assessment (Swann 1992). As will be shown below, empirical studies and observations have indeed shown that 256 ELT Journal Volume 53/4 October 1999 © Oxford University Press 1999 at United Arab Emirates University on April 28, 2012 http://eltj.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from