Demographic and Academic Determinants of Communicative English Perception: Implications for Language Policy in West Bengal Higher Education

Understanding demographic and academic variations in students' perceptions of communicative English is essential for designing equitable and effective language education policies.This study examined how perception towards communicative English (PCE) varies across gender, geographical location, family income, family type, and scholastic stream among 639 undergraduate students (186 male, 453 female) from 16 colleges across four districts of West Bengal, India.Using a validated 44-item PCE Scale (α = 0.887), the study categorized students into high (20.0%),middle (37.9%), and low (42.1%)PCE levels.Significant differences emerged across scholastic streams, with Science students (M = 128.45,SD = 44.71)demonstrating significantly higher PCE than Arts students (M = 118.48,SD = 38.41;t = 2.525, p < 0.01).Family monthly income showed significant effects on PCE (F = 3.135, p < 0.05), with students from higher-income families (₹30,000+) and middle-income families (₹5,001-10,000) showing stronger perceptions.No significant differences emerged for gender (t = 0.339, p = 0.735), geographical location (t = 0.130, p = 0.897), or family type (F = 0.870, p = 0.419).Distribution patterns revealed urban students (n=91 in high category) outnumbered rural students (n=37), and females (n=92 in high category) outnumbered males (n=36), though these differences were not statistically significant.The findings highlight the need for targeted language support for Arts students and students from lower-income families, while suggesting that gender, location, and family type may not require differential treatment in language policy design.