Local Languages and Global English: English Literature Students’ Perceptions of Linguistic Capital

Abstract

The global expansion of English has intensified debates about the relative positioning of global and local languages in multilingual higher education. While previous studies have examined language policy and English-medium instruction, fewer empirical studies investigate how students simultaneously evaluate local and global languages across multiple dimensions of linguistic capital. This study explores English Literature students’ perceptions of local languages and English in terms of status (prestige), instrumental value (academic–career utility), and identity (affection). Using a quantitative descriptive–comparative design, data were collected from 68 second-semester undergraduate students at an Indonesian university through a structured questionnaire with parallel item sets for local languages and English. Descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-tests, and effect size analyses were employed to examine comparative evaluations. The findings show that local languages retain moderate symbolic and identity-related relevance among students. However, English is evaluated significantly higher in instrumental value and identity, with large effect sizes, while differences in perceived status are not statistically significant. These results indicate that English is primarily valued as a resource for academic mobility and professional advancement, whereas local languages continue to function as markers of cultural belonging. The study provides empirical evidence from a Global South context and contributes to contemporary debates on linguistic capital and language hierarchies in higher education