Two women and a man sat outside having a conversation.

How well do we retain a second language?

For teachers, learners and researchers of English as a second or foreign language (L2), it’s not just about acquiring a language, but also the factors that help to maintain knowledge over time. Surprisingly, L2 retention – how language ability is maintained or fades over time – is a relatively under-explored area.

This multi-year study by the British Council’s English Language Research team will involve former and current Aptis test takers from around the world. By exploring their test histories alongside their ongoing use and engagement with English, the study promises to offer valuable insights into how English language skills are maintained over time and to establish a strong evidence base for evaluating patterns of language change.

Mexico, 2025 – Unlocking the secrets of language retention: an initial look at the factors influencing English language loss or maintenance in Mexico

Our initial investigations were conducted in Mexico, where Aptis has been used for language certification and evaluation for over a decade. In this study, 72 former Aptis test takers from diverse professional and geographical backgrounds — who originally sat the test between 2 and 11 years ago — were reassessed to compare their past results with their current Aptis performance.

What we’re seeing so far

Interim findings echo recent language attrition research (Schmid, 2022), suggesting that language knowledge is remarkably resilient. Changes in CEFR levels are considered in the video presentation above, focusing on three key areas:

  1. Time since taking the initial Aptis test.
  2. Frequency of use of English in daily life.
  3. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors.

References

Schmid, M. S. (2022). The final frontier? Why we have been ignoring second language attrition, and why it is time we stopped. Language Teaching, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0261444822000301 

Citation

Bruce, E., Dunn, K. Leung, P. Guzman, M. (2025) Unlocking the secrets of language retention: An initial look at the factors influencing English language loss or maintenance in Mexico. British Council.

Share this