Understanding the Relationship between Linguistic Competence and Academic Performance from Students Perspectives

Parul; Jyoti Kumari

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i05.90088

Understanding the Relationship between Linguistic Competence and Academic Performance from Students Perspectives

Author(s)	Mrs. Parul, Dr. Jyoti Kumari
Country	India
Abstract	Language is vitally important to students academic success, especially in cases where the method through which we teach is not students first language. In college or university settings, learners are expected to read textbooks, write assignments, give presentations and take exams in a language. Linguistic competence refers to whether an individual uses a language correctly. It involves reading, writing, speaking, listening, grammar and vocabulary, among others. This language can aid in grasping what the students are learning and the idea that they need to express. But students learn, engage with, and perform at optimal learning, with the help of strong language support, if they are successful in understanding lectures followed by reading the words you tell them, completing welldesigned academic coursework. But if these students have weaker language skills, they are possibly going to have trouble grasping lessons, writing assignments and speaking up in class. Proficiency in language can be highly effective in student academic performance. The association between language skills and school performance has recently become the focus of much debate in education. Many todays classrooms feature students from diverse linguistic backgrounds and cultures. The students do, in fact, learn in a second or third language, in many cases it becomes more difficult to study. They might even struggle to express their understanding of a topic if they do not have confidence in the teaching language it is in but still understand it. Academic performance is often evaluated using assignments, tests, presentations and classroom participation, all of which demand language skill sets. So students proficiency at using language can directly impact their performance in their studies. Knowing this relationship is significant as this will help them as well as the institutions better support students. The objective of this research is to explore the students perspective on the linguistic competence vs academic performance relation. Rather than focusing solely on grades or exam scores, the study seeks to probe how students themselves believe that language skills influence academic learning and achievements. The main research focus is on how students perceive the link between language proficiency and their academic performance. The study focuses on student experiences and views so as to better understand the dilemmas students encounter and how language shapes learning. The research is conducted in three principal questions. This is done with the aim of clarifying students perceptions towards their language competence in school context. This reflects their confidence levels around reading academic texts, writing assignments, speaking in class, and comprehending lectures. The second aim is on the impact of proficiency in a language on students comprehension of their course materials and performance of academic exercises. These activities are things like reading textbooks, writing essays, jotting down notes during lectures, sharing thoughts, and the like. The third goal is to understand how students think their language skills impact their overall academic performance. The study attempts to illustrate the importance of language competence in the educational experiences of students in order to study these objectives. In order to achieve these goals, the research employs a qualitative research strategy. Qualitative research is concerned with the qualitative experience of the people and understanding their insights over time. Rather than just taking numbers or statistics, this approach enables a researcher to delve into students thoughts and experiences in a more thorough way. The study is based on surveys and semistructured interviews among undergraduate students of various academic backgrounds. The survey collects general information about students experiences with language in the classroom, and the interviews facilitate indepth description of students perspectives and experiences. Using openended questions, students can describe the challenges they face, how language impacts their learning, and how they are attempting to master their language. Secondary sources of information such as books, research articles, and previous studies published on language learning and academic performance are also used as we are collecting the data from the student population. These sources allow the researcher to understand more about the issue at hand and compare this study with previous works. The data from the surveys and interviews are analysed in terms of identified common ideas and patterns in students answers. This approach gives the researcher insight into the principal themes that emerge from students accounts and views. Findings of the study suggest that students generally understand that linguistic competence is a significant predictor of academic performance. Many students note that, having good language skills, they can understand lectures better and follow teacher explanations. They find it easier to read textbooks or academic papers. Better language skills enable students to write their assignments clearly and organise their ideas better. Confident students who feel empowered around their language abilities are more likely to have a voice in class discussions, ask questions, and share their opinions. Students with a clear grasp of language help them to contribute in class discussions, have more confidence, question and express things to their classmates. Their active participation in learning allows them to learn better and perform better academically. But when students are not confident enough about their language skills they have many hurdles to surmount. Some say they sometimes understand the basic idea of a lecture but cannot fully understand all the details because of language barriers. Others struggle to analyse challenging academic texts that contain unfamiliar words or difficult sentence structures. Students also struggle with writing assignments, due to the fact that it is often difficult for them to state their ideas clearly and employ proper grammar. In exams, students with weaker language skills may be unable to clarify their answers even when they know the topic. Due to these struggles, their academic success does not always correspond with what they actually know or how capable they are. Another interesting finding of the study is that students often try to find their own ways to improve their language skills. Some students use dictionaries, translation tools, and online learning platforms to understand difficult words and concepts. Others try to improve their language by reading more books, watching educational videos, or practising writing regularly. Other students study alongside each other, discussing hard topics with one another to get more understanding of the topic and the language. These strategies demonstrate that language is not only important, but for students to do so in a healthy way, they must know that it matters with what they learn and would strive to work towards it. Educational institutions also need to help students master their language abilities, research indicates. This report is a testament to those students who feel colleges and universities should provide language support, writing workshops, and academic skills training services. These kinds of programmes contribute in some way to improving students reading, writing, and communication skills. Teachers also can offer supportive guidance by being able to articulate difficult concepts clearly, prompt students to ask questions, and give constructive feedback on tasks. When teachers employ supportive teaching methods, learners are more inclined to engage in class and improve their language skills. To cut to the chase, the study finds that linguistic competence is closely related to student academic performance. Good language skills do not only improve understanding they are, from the students point of view, also important for reading lessons and academic materials, writing assignments, and performing well in exams. For both groups, weaker language skills in turn can produce problems that affect students capacity to properly demonstrate knowledge and understanding. This work reveals that language abilities are extremely important for each learner when considering their perspectives, as is emphasized by the article. Schools must learn that proficiency in language is not just a communicative skill, but a vital asset for academic achievement. Providing language support and encouraging students to develop their linguistic abilities can make the learning environment better and improve the quality of education for everyone. Students who grow their language skills as linguistically capable members will actively study and do better than others who do not speak the language confidently and participate in their studies.
Keywords	Linguistic Competence, Academic Performance, Students Perspectives, Language Proficiency, Higher Education.
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On	2026-10-22
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i05.90088

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Understanding the Relationship between Linguistic Competence and Academic Performance from Students Perspectives

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