Toward optimal second language acquisition and proficiency: Addressing limited exposure and educational inequality in EFL contexts through home-based approaches and interdisciplinary insights

In English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings, second language acquisition (SLA) is often challenging due to limited English exposure and structural constraints within school systems. This study focuses on South Korea, a country that has invested heavily in English education reforms yet continues to struggle with developing learners' functional language skills and equitable access to quality instruction. Over the past 20 years, a grassroots, home-based English acquisition initiative has emerged, led by Korean caregivers. This initiative aims to offer natural and relaxed English exposure at home through daily routines aligned with the child's developmental stage, extending learning beyond classroom limitations. Using data from a nationwide survey of 1020 mothers of first-grade children (age 6, turning 7 during the academic year), this study examines whether home-based English exposure during the preschool period enhances children's English proficiency and interest in English learning, and whether it has the potential to mitigate educational inequality. Children's English proficiency and interest were assessed via maternal self-reports, using the Cambridge English placement test, national education standards, and evaluations of the child's learning engagement. Findings suggest that this home-based, parent-led approach significantly improves children's English outcomes and is adopted across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. The Korean case, analyzed through an interdisciplinary lens combining linguistic, educational, and economic perspectives, may offer valuable insights for other EFL contexts, demonstrating how home-based SLA can serve as a cost-effective, scalable supplement to formal education.