Abstract:

Second language proficiency is a characteristic of modernization and a prerequisite for a state’s international influence.However, the mainstay of the existing research on second language acquisition (SLA) focuses on international communications and education, ignoring SLA’s sociopolitical functions and values for domestic governance.The novel “language policy field” theory fills this academic vacuum by specifying four paths SLA can affect individuals’ political capabilities, especially their cognitive capabilities.The findings of this study, which used data from a nationally representative survey in China, supports the hypotheses of this theory.The empirical analyses show that respondents’ English proficiency significantly modified their cognitive capabilities regarding politics as measured by political efficacy.SLA increases internal efficacy mainly through the information-collection mechanism while raising external efficacy through the relative-proficiency mechanism.There is no evidence that SLA affects political capacities through value changes.In this sense, the influence of SLA is more on literacy than on beliefs.The new theory and findings have far-reaching implications for language governance, national capacity, and the modernization of governance in general.

Key words: National capacity of governance, political capacity, language governance, second-language acquisition (SLA), policy field, political efficacy.