English is undeniably far more than just a language; its omnipresence has transformed it from a linguistic tool into a system of power and advantage in itself. English has so naturally been established as a “global default" that we often overlook the dominance it holds over our communication. It has evolved to function paradoxically, both as a classificatory criterion that divides people, and as a unifier that binds our linguistically, regionally, and culturally diverse subcontinent together.

Rosemary Salomone (2022), in her work The Rise of English, builds on sociologist Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital and uses India as an example to demonstrate how English can be a strategic tool for social mobility, as well as a marker of exclusion. Similarly, Mathew (2018), in his piece ‘Aspiring and Aspiration Shaming’, introduces the concept of “aspiration shaming," wherein elite social actors dismiss or critique the English-medium schooling aspirations of the non-elites, revealing anxieties about shifting hierarchies. These aspirations are embedded in everyday mothering practices, such as enrolling children in English-medium private schools, investing in after-school English tuitions, and vigilantly overseeing schoolwork at home. For marginalised mothers, these aspirations are a moral and ethical act that helps them negotiate and navigate through poverty, envisioning a better future for their children.

For those with privileged educational backgrounds, fluency in English is often taken for granted and viewed as effortless or automatic. In contrast, for those from non-elite or regional-medium schooling backgrounds, English remains an aspirational goal that demands significant effort and investment. This casual attitude towards English proficiency is also reflected in popular social media content, where students often joke about neglecting English exam preparation because it is viewed as an opportunity to score “freebie marks" with little to no effort. Such representations reinforce the normalisation of English privilege while simultaneously marginalising those for whom it is a hard-won skill. Aspiration shaming and the subtle gatekeeping of English fluency can be seen as interrelated dynamics that reflect broader structural inequalities in access to linguistic as well as cultural capital.

The book Medium of Instruction Policies: Which Agenda? Whose Agenda?, edited by James W. Tollefson and Amy B.M. Tsui, provides a comprehensive analysis of how language policies in education are deeply........

© News18