Pakistani University Students Navigating Economic Uncertainty Through ESL Acquisition and Social Capital

Abstract

Given the volatile economic climate in Pakistan, where inflation, currency devaluation and job scarcity are the norm, the ability to speak English has become an indispensable social capital, affecting Pakistan's opportunities for higher education, white collar employment and social mobility. This study explores the strategies used by Pakistani university students in the context of this economic precarity to learn English as a Second Language (ESL), rather than thinking of language learning solely as a cognitive or pedagogical act, it is a practice that is situated in a social context in which students desire for upward mobility in life is the impetus for their learning. The study is based on Bourdieu's theory of capital and the newer sociolinguistic perspectives, thus examining how students with different socioeconomic backgrounds see, value and seek English language proficiency as a way of turning their linguistic skills into economic and social gain. The study uses an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, a quantitative survey on language learning strategy uses and socioeconomic status followed by a qualitative in-depth interview of students' lived experiences in learning ESL while facing financial constraints, access to poor quality instruction, and inequal access to digital materials. Results show that there were differences in the strategies that were adopted according to socioeconomic status, as well as learner resilience and resourcefulness in finding strategies in challenging situations. The study makes a significant contribution to the fields of sociolinguistic and applied linguistics research by bringing the concept of social capital into the study of ESL acquisition in Pakistan and its implications for language policy, equity in teaching and learning, and reform in higher education in economically disadvantaged settings.