EFFECTS OF SOCIALLY STRATIFIED EDUCATION ON LINGUISTIC PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Educational success is interlocked to linguistic proficiency which is highly associated to the life chances, income and well-being of a person (Battle & Lewis, 2002). This research contributes to an understanding that Linguistic ability is the currency with which students in higher education negotiate success however, inadequate linguistic skills have been known to be a significant barrier to academic and economic success (Gray, 1996; Pecorino & Dozier, 2000; Saville‐ Troike, 1984). The influences of stratification have been a well-established fact in literature however, the deliberation in maintaining the level of English ability varied across school systems and the range of factors that increase this variation has been a rather left out issue. Likewise, how specific implicit practices at institutional level translate into linguistic disparity and what that might mean for the life chances of individuals, economically challenged groups and our entire nation again has been an untouched issue. More specifically, this study investigated associations between immediate and long-term linguistic attainments of learners from different socioeconomic classes through the existing socially stratified educational system. The focus of the study is on explicating the process and the role of underlying factors that influence linguistic exposure and development towards a specific outcome. The research was conducted in three phases with a total of 1000 participants selected across socioeconomic divisions and stratified schools for detailed linguistic analysis and achievement comparisons. The results of this study showed the measures of linguistic proficiency between high, middle and low socioeconomic status groups. A strong socioeconomic gradient with respect to linguistic proficiency across social classes was observed with noticeable variations among social classes. This study revealed the increasing influence of stratified school systems in society and how they produce linguistic disparities and found out that early childhood socioeconomic circumstances and schooling together form a precise kind of exposure that accumulates overtime towards advantage or disadvantage, a finding that highlights the importance of early influences being translated in the development of linguistic proficiency in higher education which become deterministic across the life course. Based on these findings recommendations are given with implications for practice, policy and further studies.