Author: Soma Jash
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/Bijmrd/03100006
Abstract: English occupies a pivotal position in India as both a medium of instruction and a marker of social mobility. In the districts of Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, the language mediates students’ educational opportunities, career ambitions, and sense of modern identity. This empirical study compares the perceptions of secondary-school students from the two districts regarding the role of English in shaping their personal and social aspirations. Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 300 students (150 from each district) through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus-group discussions. Quantitative analysis revealed that students in both districts associated English with status and employability, yet Paschim Medinipur students demonstrated slightly higher communicative confidence and access to digital English resources. Qualitative findings indicated that English functions not only as an academic requirement but also as a symbol of self-worth and future possibility. The study concludes that unequal infrastructural and pedagogical conditions shape how learners construct linguistic identity, and it recommends context-responsive English-language policies that link communicative proficiency with inclusive social development.
Keywords: English Language Learning, Identity, Aspiration, Secondary Education, Paschim Medinipur, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, Sociolinguistics.
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