The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between measured English‐language proficiency, years of English‐language study and the use of English as a medium of instruction for samples of Arabic‐speaking Egyptian and Lebanese university students. The results of multivariate regression analyses indicated no systematic relationship between years of EFL study and English proficiency. A better overall predictor of proficiency was whether the students had received any instruction via a foreign language. We emphasize the need to begin a more systematic search for factors related to increases in English‐language proficiency at various stages of study under diverse circum