English Proficiency as Capital in Family Language Policies: Beliefs, Strategies and Investments

In the context of neoliberalism and globalization, English plays a pivotal role for global communication, trade, technology, and in the academia. As a result, a high command in English is increasingly considered to be a prerequisite for competitive participation in the labor market and upward socio-economic status. Within this backdrop, this paper explores family language policies to guarantee their children’s English learning and aims at uncovering how families deal with this issue, including rationale, practice, efforts and investments. The research design of the study was qualitative, the non-probabilistic convenience sample was made up of 17 Spanish families, and data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews. The results revealed a strong parental commitment to their children's language education, driven by an intensive parenting style marked by sustained support and a clear focus on securing future success. Families acted as linguistic agents and entrepreneurs and strategically sought opportunities in the flourishing English language learning market to maximize their children's language capital, thereby supplementing the input received at school. This proactive approach was rooted in the view of English as an essential asset in securing their children's competitive advantage in a neoliberal global economy. Besides, families positioned their actions (particularly in the case of stays abroad) as a symbol of status and socio-economic privilege. The differences between those with access to these extracurricular learning experiences from those without, solidify English's role as a social marker.