Parent's expectations related to the learning of English in secondary school

Expectations are inherent to education because the instructional process generates diverse types of them. This topic has been studied mainly from teachers and student's perspective, so this research focuses on parents' point of view. The objective of this study is to explore parents' expectations related to the learning of English language in secondary school. Method: this study was carried out according to the qualitative paradigm, under a cases study design. Data was collected in a semi-urban secondary school through observations and in-depth interviews. Information was analyzed by the constant comparative method, and the software Atlas.ti was used to support this process. Results: The results show high parental expectations regarding language learning, although parents do not have a clear idea about why their kids learn this foreign language or the real use of it. Conclusion: parental expectations reflect their own academic histories which transcend the disciplinary field generating high life expectations that seek for social mobility.