English Language Proficiency as Linguistic Capital: A Mixed-Methods Study of Social Stratification among University Students in Postcolonial Bangladesh

More than half a century after independence, English still operates as a linguistic capital in postcolonial Bangladesh, but the processes by which it produces educational and professional inequalities are under-researched. The study investigates how English proficiency functions as a means of social stratification among 115 public and private university students from various educational backgrounds. A structured online survey with 10 closed-ended questions and 6 open-ended questions was used to collect the data, which was analyzed using SPSS to present descriptive statistics and qualitative data using thematic analysis. The quantitative results indicate that 74.8% of the respondents agree that English-medium students are provided with better academic opportunities, and 91.4% of the respondents confirm that English proficiency is an important factor to secure a job. Nevertheless, 27% said that they had been academically excluded because of poor English ability, and 35.7% had been refused a job. The qualitative data revealed more contradictions: whereas English allows students to move globally and pursue professional growth, it also stigmatizes students who speak Bangla by creating linguistic anxiety, classroom exclusion, and identity crises. Based on Bourdieu's notion of cultural capital and postcolonial theory, the results reveal that English serves as a tool of empowerment as well as a tool of exclusion, continuing to create educational inequalities based on class. The study concludes that in order to create a more equitable landscape, it is essential to implement fair language policies and adopt inclusive teaching methodologies.