AI-mediated linguistic capital in Bangladesh: Rethinking the value of English in the age of generative AI
Keywords:
AI-mediated linguistic capital, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), Employability, Higher education, Language proficiencyAbstract
The rapid diffusion of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how English is learned, used, and valued, raising questions about the future of linguistic capital in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. While previous studies have primarily examined AI as a pedagogical tool, limited attention has been paid to how it transforms the social and economic value of English proficiency. Addressing this gap, this study investigates how Bangladeshi tertiary EFL students perceive the changing value of English in the era of generative AI through the lens of Bourdieu’s theory of linguistic capital. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve English-major students at a private university in Bangladesh and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. The findings indicate that generative AI has not reduced the importance of English but has shifted its value from linguistic accuracy toward higher-order communicative competencies, including critical thinking, contextual judgment, strategic communication, and ethical AI use. Building on these findings, the study proposes AI-mediated linguistic capital, a conceptual extension of Bourdieu’s framework, to explain how educational and professional advantage increasingly depends on the strategic integration of English proficiency and AI literacy. Rather than democratizing opportunity, AI appears to reconfigure existing inequalities by privileging learners with stronger linguistic, digital, and critical competencies. The study contributes a novel theoretical perspective on linguistic capital in the AI era while offering implications for English language education, AI literacy, and graduate employability.
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