The purpose of this study was to explore the association among socio-cultural capital factors including social competence, social solidarity, literacy, cultural competence, and extraversion and Iranian EFL learners’ language proficiency. To this end, 92 out of 117 Iranian EFL learners in three language institutes, Iran, were selected based on a placement test, ranging from 21 to 29 years old. Next, the selected learners took the Social and Cultural Capital Questionnaire (SCCQ) to measure their socio-cultural capitals. The data were analyzed based on structural equation modeling. The findings revealed that social competence was a positive and significant predictor of social solidarity. Social solidarity also significantly predicts literacy. Cultural competence was associated with both literacy and extraversion Further, learners’ literacy positively predicts the social competence respectively, confirming that EFL learners who were exposed to socio-cultural contexts enjoyed a higher level of metacognition and intelligence, and as a result, perform better in learning another language. Finally, the theoretical and pedagogical implications of the study are provided.
