ShodhPatra: International Journal of Science and Humanities

English as a Prestige Language and Its Impact on Tribal Language Use: A Field-Based Study

The increasing dominance of English as a global and national prestige language has significantly reshaped linguistic hierarchies within tribal societies, where language functions as a core marker of identity, cultural continuity, and indigenous knowledge systems. This study examines the role of English in accelerating language shift and ecological imbalance in tribal linguistic contexts, with particular reference to patterns of language use, intergenerational transmission, and community attitudes toward indigenous languages. Drawing on both secondary sources—such as sociolinguistic literature, policy documents, and UNESCO reports—and primary data collected through a field survey of 60 respondents from tribal communities, the study provides an empirically grounded analysis of contemporary language dynamics. The findings indicate that English operates not merely as a communicative tool but as symbolic and socio-economic capital, strongly associated with education, employment, and upward mobility. This prestige has led to a functional redistribution of languages, wherein English dominates formal domains such as schooling and administration, while tribal languages are increasingly confined to domestic and ceremonial spaces. Such domain restriction has weakened intergenerational transmission and diminished the perceived value of indigenous languages, particularly among younger generations. The study argues that the unchecked expansion of English threatens the sustainability of tribal linguistic ecosystems by marginalizing indigenous languages and eroding culturally embedded knowledge systems. It concludes by emphasizing the need for ecologically balanced language policies, mother tongue–based multilingual education, and community-driven revitalization initiatives to ensure that linguistic modernization does not come at the cost of cultural and linguistic diversity.