Learning a language = cultural capital

[lavengro]

A link to a nice success story in the Huffington Post Canada site (I hope it links - in the past, there were problems linking HP stories):

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/07/16/for-syrian-refugee-yasser-al-asmi-learning-french-was-exactly-what-made-him-feel-canadian_a_23480976/?utm_hp_ref=ca-homepage

Newbie to Canada coming from a challenging background masters English and learns French to university-capable level in under two years from youtube and (yep, you doubters) Duolingo. "Learning a national language shouldn't even be a political debate: It's cultural capital."

Love the story, nod of the hat for his dig at Canadian winters and there is nice photo of the water off Shediac, New Brunswick for whoever might be interested. I'm in Canada and if anyone wants me to drive out and give this guy a slap for making many of the rest of us look bad in respect of the speed of his language acquisition, let me know, Moncton is barely a five day drive from me.

[Adrianslont]

Well done, Yasser.

I’d like to make some comments, You have got your quotation marks in the wrong place, lavengro. The HP article reads:

He says learning a national language shouldn't even be a political debate. "It's cultural capital."

Yasser isn’t actually reported as saying it shouldn’t be a national debate. I know how much I hate it when people misquote me or put words in my mouth. And the HP is also putting words in his mouth - even without using quotation marks.

I know that perpetual refugee survival smile - it warms and breaks my heart at the same time.

Lobster for felafels is a great deal - as much as much as I love felafels.

[kulaputra]

What is meant by "cultural capital" in this context?

EDIT: Asking especially because the journo thought to juxtapose this with "a political debate," even though the dude didn't say that.

[lavengro]

Well done, Yasser.

I’d like to make some comments, You have got your quotation marks in the wrong place, lavengro. The HP article reads:

He says learning a national language shouldn't even be a political debate. "It's cultural capital."

Yasser isn’t actually reported as saying it shouldn’t be a national debate. I know how much I hate it when people misquote me or put words in my mouth. And the HP is also putting words in his mouth - even without using quotation marks.

I know that perpetual refugee survival smile - it warms and breaks my heart at the same time.

Lobster for felafels is a great deal - as much as much as I love felafels.

Quite right Adrianslont, I muffed the quotation marks. I was busy thinking about lobster when typing the post, and frankly am still thinking about lobster.

[Ani]

What is meant by "cultural capital" in this context?

EDIT: Asking especially because the journo thought to juxtapose this with "a political debate," even though the dude didn't say that.

https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-cultu ... it-3026374

Compare with "Career Capital"

The juxtaposition with political debate is saying that the language is a straight up asset, we should all be proud/grateful/thankful to have it, not be only thinking about it in terms of the political issues that arise in Canada -- constitutional challenges, school issues, etc.