An Understanding Reticence and Ambivalence towards Speaking English through the ‘Problem’ of Limited Capital Yielded by English in a Sri Lankan State University: A Case Study

The use of English for communicative purposes among Sri Lankan state university students has been a topic of concern for many decades as they are typically noted as being either reticent or ambivalent in using the target language (TL) for oral communication irrespective of their proficiency in the TL or the fact that they are enrolled in English Medium Degree Programmes (EMDPs). This paper therefore offers a sociological response to the issue through an exploration of the notion of ‘capital’ yielded by English. Required information was obtained from a larger narrative case study conducted with five first-year undergraduates studying for two profession-oriented EMDPs offered by one academic department in a state university in Sri Lanka. Portraying the positioning of English in the context under study, this paper depicts how English use is discouraged by the hegemonic sociocultural environment in the context whereby opportunities for the respondents to use English that would ultimately enable them yield ‘capital’ are constrained. This ‘problem’ of ‘capital’ associated with English in the context under study has direct impacts on the learners’ investment in using the TL. The study confirms that ‘capital’ has direct implications to investment in using English within the social realities of the respondents in the university context and recommends institutional-level support to foster a supportive academic environment that creates legitimate opportunities for the learners to yield ‘capital’ in using English.