The topic of this thesis focused on second language (L2) learning and factors that affect students’ language attitudes. The study was conducted among Croatian and French high school students who were taking English as a second language. The first aim of the research was to identify learners’ attitudes towards the English language as a school subject and the learning process in general. The results showed that both groups of participants had positive attitudes towards English and towards learning it. The second aim was to identify learners’ perceived competency in English. The results showed that both groups of students perceived high levels of English language competency, while Croatian students indicated slightly higher selfcompetency levels. The third aim of the research was to determine whether the participants experienced L2 anxiety. The overall results indicated that both groups of learners did not generally experience high levels of language anxiety. However, Croatian participants showed slightly higher levels of L2 anxiety when speaking in class compared to French students. The last aim was to investigate possible differences between the learners who began English language learning early and have studied English for a longer period, and those learners who were older when starting to learn English. The results showed that Croatian participants were younger when starting to learn English. Croatian students also had higher marks and were more satisfied with them, and had slightly higher levels of perceived competency which may suggest that an early start helps in the language learning process.