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Shin, Changok. (2013). “A comparison study of English learning engagement outside the classroom between an elementary school and a middle school.” Studies in English Language & Literature. 40.1 (2014): 297-324. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how learners engage in English learning activities outside the classroom between elementary school and middle school. Mixed methods (surveys and interviews) were used for this study. English learning activity questionnaires were distributed to 281 sixth grade elementary school students. After nine months, the same questionnaires were given again to the same group (275 in this time) who became the first grade of the middle school. The data analysis showed that the English activity items of “going to a private institute”, “studying”, and “using a smartphone” showed statistically significant differences between the grades. The analysis of the 12 focal students' interviews showed that they engaged in three aspects of learning: Joining private institutes, using the Internet or smartphones, and losing interest in English learning. With regard to these findings, it will be discussed the lack of self-directed learning, the necessity for exposing to diverse texts, and the widening gap between the advanced and the struggling students. (Changwon Hogye Middle School)