The impact of socioeconomic status on parental agency in family language policy for English language learning in China

This study investigates how Chinese parents of different socioeconomic status (SES) exercise their agency in family language policies (FLP) for English language learning amid educational reforms and sociocultural dynamics. Drawing on Spolsky’s (2004) language policy framework and Bourdieu’s (2018) concept of capital, this study analysed 40 interviews with parents from different regions of China. The findings reveal that parents’ ideologies, management strategies, and practices in children’s English learning at home vary across SES groups, influenced by differences in access to economic, social, cultural and linguistic capital. High-SES parents perceive English as vital for global opportunities and set ambitious educational goals, employing resource-intensive support to encourage early bilingualism. Conversely, low-SES parents, constrained by limited resources, prioritise English primarily for school success and locally-based careers and employ adaptive strategies. Practices across SES groups vary from immersive activities in high-SES families to more passive exposure and basic academic support in low-SES families. The study demonstrates that SES, mediated by capital, affects parental agency in FLP. By illustrating the disparities across SES groups, this study contributes to a broader discourse in FLP, demonstrating how parents manifest resilience and adaptability in optimising resources for language learning through dynamic interactions with macro- and micro-level contexts.