Linguistic diversity in the international workplace: Language ideologies and processes of exclusion

Multilingua ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorte Lønsmann
Keyword(s):  
Language Ideologies ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Language Choice ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Local Language ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Essential Connection ◽  
Modern Workplace

AbstractThis article draws on a study of language choice and language ideologies in an international company in Denmark. It focuses on the linguistic and social challenges that are related to the diversity of language competences among employees in the modern workplace. Research on multilingualism at work has shown that employees may be excluded from informal interactions and from access to power structures on the basis of language skills in the company’s language(s). The data discussed here show that in the modern workplace, employees’ linguistic competences are diverse; international employees often have competence in the company’s lingua franca but lack skills in the local language while some ‘local’ employees lack competence in the corporate language (typically English). This can lead to the sociolinguistic exclusion of either group. In conclusion, the article relates these processes of exclusion to two language ideologies: one about an essential connection between language and nation and one about a hierarchy of English users.

What Are We Trying to Preserve? Diversity, Change, and Ideology at the Edge of the Cameroonian Grassfields

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierpaolo Di Carlo ◽  
Jeff Good
Keyword(s):  
Language Ideologies ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Extreme Case ◽  
Language Loss ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Language Endangerment ◽  
Local Language ◽  
Key Aspects

Losses associated with language endangerment need not be restricted to individual language systems but can also involve the disappearance of distinctive language ecologies. This chapter explores the language dynamics of the Lower Fungom region of Northwest Cameroon, which offers an extreme case of linguistic diversity, from an areal and ethnographically informed perspective. Key aspects of local language ideologies are explored in detail, and it is argued that in this area languages symbolize relatively ephemeral political formations and, hence, should not be taken as reflections of deeply rooted historical identities. This conclusion has significance both regarding how research projects in the area should be structured as well as for what it might mean to ‘preserve’ the languages of a region that historically appears to have been characterized by frequent language loss and emergence, conditioned by changes in territorial and political configurations.

Multilingual speakers and language choice in the legal sphere

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Sebastian Angermeyer
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Ideologies ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Language Choice ◽  
Official Language ◽  
Common Assumption ◽  
Official Languages ◽  
Alternative Approaches ◽  
The Common ◽  
Police Interrogations

AbstractThis paper explores the effects of linguistic diversity on equality before the law, by surveying sociolinguistic and applied research that investigates interaction between speakers of different languages in a variety of legal institutions, including genres such as courtroom talk, police interrogations, and asylum interviews. While the institutions have official languages that are used by agents working in them, many people who interact with them speak other languages and have limited or no proficiency in the official language. The paper examines how language choice is determined in such settings, considering factors such as legal statutes, language proficiency assessments, and language ideologies. It then investigates the indexical and pragmatic consequences of language choice for lay participants, whether they speak in the official language (their L2) or in another language (often their L1), but mediated by an interpreter. Demonstrating how interpreter-mediated interaction differs from interaction in the same language, the paper challenges the common assumption that competent interpreting can put a person in the same position as a speaker of the official language would be. Finally, alternative approaches to multilingualism in interaction and entextualization are explored, which address some of the disadvantages that speakers of non-official language face.

scholarly journals Prinzipien der Sprachwahl im Tourismus, mit Schwerpunkt auf sprachlicher Höflichkeit

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-22
Author(s):  
Ulrich Ammon
Keyword(s):  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Language Choice ◽  
Tourist Industry ◽  
Tourist Destination ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Local Language ◽  
International Standing ◽  
Face Saving

Abstract After defining the concept of ‚tourist‘ and distinguishing ‚inbound tourists‘ from ‚outbound tourists‘, the article focuses on questions of politeness towards tourists who are seen and treated as customers of their goals’ tourist industry. One possibility of treating them politely is the adequate language choice with respect to their mother tongue, I which they will, as a rule expect to be addressed, if it is a language of considerable international standing (e.g. French or German) or spoken by many tourists in the respective location. Otherwise they will consider it at least more polite to be addressed in a lingua franca, mostly English, than in the local language of the tourist destination. Tourist will find it particularly polite to be addressed in their own mother language if it does not rank among the more international languages. These hypotheses are deduced from well-founded politeness theories based on face-saving and identity assumptions and are illustrated by examples in order to show ways of further empirical corroboration or falsification.

scholarly journals Language Ideologies and Transnational Migration: A Study of Cape Verdeans in Galicia

Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 99
Author(s):  
Nicola Bermingham
Keyword(s):  
Language Ideologies ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Transnational Migration ◽  
Peripheral Region ◽  
Cape Verde ◽  
Minority Languages ◽  
Cape Verdean ◽  
Language Identity ◽  
Language Varieties ◽  
Symbolic Resource

Changes to the global infrastructure have contributed to the growing (linguistic) diversity of large metropolises. However, there have been calls from scholars to explore “emerging superdiversity” (DePalma and Pérez-Caramés 2018) in peripheral regions in order to fully understand the complexities and nuances of the sociolinguistics of globalisation (Wang et al. 2014; Pietikäinen et al. 2016). This article, therefore, explores language ideologies among a purposive sample of five young adults of Cape Verdean origin living in the peripheral region of Galicia, Spain, and draws on interview data to examine the ways in which multilingual migrants engage with the language varieties in their linguistic repertoire. In studying immigration from a former African colony to a bilingual European context, we can see how language ideologies from the migrant community are reflected in local ones. The sociolinguistic dynamics of Cape Verde and Galicia share many similarities: both contexts are officially bilingual (Galician and Spanish in Galicia, Kriolu and Portuguese in Cape Verde), and questions regarding the hierarchisation of languages remain pertinent in both cases. The ideologies about the value and prestige of (minority) languages that Cape Verdean migrants arrive with are thus accommodated by local linguistic ideologies in Galicia, a region which has a history of linguistic minoritisation. This has important implications for the ways in which language, as a symbolic resource, is mobilised by migrants in contexts of transnational migration. The findings of this study show how migrants are key actors in (re)shaping the linguistic dynamics of their host society and how, through their practices and discourses, they challenge long-standing assumptions about language, identity and linguistic legitimacy, and call into question ethno-linguistic boundaries.

scholarly journals Intelligibility in English as a lingua franca – The interpreters’ perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-193
Author(s):  
Karin Reithofer
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Background Knowledge ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Specialist Knowledge ◽  
Written Questions ◽  
Subordinate Role

AbstractThis article aims at examining the topic of ELF intelligibility from the interpreters’ perspective. Therefore, the focus is put on listener factors affecting intelligibility in settings typical for interpreting i.e. monologic settings. Data from various intelligibility studies are compared with results from a study that tested an ELF user’s intelligibility in a conference-like ELF setting and examined the influence of listener variables such as background knowledge, familiarity with ELF use or proficiency in English. In this study, an Italian speaker gave an impromptu speech in English to participants who subsequently were asked to answer written questions on the topic. The results showed that listeners with more experience in ELF settings reached the highest score in the test, while participants with specialist knowledge were unable to profit from it. The participants’ English language skills played a rather subordinate role. The findings of this study may prove useful for considerations in interpreter training and can contribute to the development of concrete, evidence-based training methods for interpreters in the interpreting sub-skill of comprehension.

Nacionālā valoda zinātnē: Latvijas piemērs

2020 ◽  
pp. 31-52
Author(s):  
Agnese Dubova ◽  
Diāna Laiveniece ◽  
Egita Proveja ◽  
Baiba Egle
Keyword(s):  
Online Community ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Choice ◽  
Doctoral Dissertation ◽  
National Language ◽  
Main Trend ◽  
Scientific Language ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Scientific Excellence ◽  
Language Of Science

The aim of the paper is to show and describe the current situation in the Latvian scientific language based on a case study of the problem about the place of a national language and its existence in science in modern globalised time, when the dominance of English as the lingua franca of science grows. More specifically, the paper analyses the November 2019 conceptual plans of the Latvian Ministry of Education and Science about a new concept of doctoral study programmes that would lean towards using English as the doctoral dissertation language in hopes for scientific excellence, and the public reaction and opinion on this concept. The descriptive method is used within the paper, including the contemporary literature review focused on the language of science globally, issues of multilingualism and glocalization, and the problems caused by these issues. Via empirical discourse content analysis, the authors looked at various documents, including Latvian law that governs the rights and rules of the Latvian language use in various contexts. They examined a wide array of mainly online content and diverse online community discourse related to the question of what language should be used (Latvian or English) within the doctoral dissertation process. For a comparison of the situation, the paper also provides a brief insight into the regulation of the language used in the development of dissertations in Lithuania. During the study, 21 different sources, that is, articles posted on various Latvian news media sites and 304 online user comments, predominantly anonymous, under these articles relating to the issue of language choice in doctoral dissertations were analysed. All the mentioned sources, to a greater or lesser extent, discussed the issue of what place Latvian has as a language of science and whether English should be the dominant language in doctoral studies, what implications the choice and usage of a language could have, and what far-reaching impact this might have on science, education, and society. The material revealed a breadth of opinions, depending on what group a person is more likely to represent, ranging from the Ministry stance to organisations and the general public. Some had a very pro-English stance, and some showed significant concern for the Latvian language. The main trend in online community user opinions could be condensed as such: there is a variety of language choices for a doctoral dissertation – a dissertation written in Latvian; a dissertation written in English; or leaving the language choice up to the doctoral student. This would ensure that the language choice fits the doctoral students’ goals and field of research. Making English mandatory would not likely lead to guarantee scientific excellence as what matters is the research content itself, not the language used. The national language in science is a current and important issue in Latvia, as there is a need for state language use in a scientific register, and this usage should be developed further. The Ministry document discussed is still a draft report, and it is not yet known what final decisions on the PhD process and dissertation language will be taken by policymakers in the future. This paper shows that language choice and use in science is not just a matter for scholars and PhD candidates, but an issue that can and does gain interest from various groups of society and gets discussed online in multiple ways, allowing people to express their opinion on policy and societal issues. Latvian is a scientific language, and it has a place within the international scientific discourse, and it should not be made to step aside for the dominant lingua franca.

scholarly journals The Emergence of Multilingual Education in India: Issues Related to Media of Instruction in Border Areas of Telangana Schools

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suman Kothakonda
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Indian States ◽  
Dominant Language ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Multilingual Education ◽  
Target Languages ◽  
The Right

<p>My main goal is to focus on the importance of multilingual education through translanguaging pedagogies in Telangana schools especially in the areas of minority linguistic communities. India is remarkably well-known for cultural and linguistic diversity. In such a context, it is difficult to implement the right medium of instruction in which the students’ home language is different from the school language. Though there are many factors involved in delivering quality education, language plays a significant role in teaching and learning across the world. The majority of the schools encourage dominant language(s) in teaching and learning in Indian states. As a result, students of non-dominant language(s) are totally out of the classroom conversations and they slowly come to know that their languages are less prestigious and not used in schools. This leads them to show less interest in learning. Non-dominant language(s) are pushed out of important domains and such languages are impoverished with limited functions in India. In this paper, I discuss the complexity which lies in providing the right media of instruction to heterogeneous students in Indian classrooms and also explores the students’ language(s) proficiency levels in two target languages. Finally, I explain some ways to develop students’ linguistic and cognitive skills in such a multilingual environment. Two schools were, for this study, visited to understand the language(s) scenario in the Telangana region. The data was collected from 15 students who were in the IX class.Apart from this, we interacted with teachers to get their opinions on various topics in relation to students’ language skills as well as multilingual education. Extensive individual interviews and long conversations were conducted from classroom teachers in relation to students’ language skills in three languages. The data was collected through a variety of sources in order to illuminate multilingual education in Telangana schools. Oral and written samples were collected from the participants in two languages L2 & L3. In the process of data collection, each student performed spoken as well as written tasks. Oral tasks consist of discussions, role-plays, and one storytelling task based on the provided pictures. Written tasks consist of reading, listening, and writing (vocabulary, grammar, and sentence meaning). The result of the collected data reveals the proficiency levels of students in L2 & L3. The empirical data, interviews, and conversations revealed the significance of LI in schools at the right time. </p>

scholarly journals THE COMMODIFICATION OF ENGLISH IN BRAZILIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES: LANGUAGE IDEOLOGIES ENTEXTUALIZED IN THE SCOPE OF THE PROGRAM ENGLISH WITHOUT BORDERS

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (40) ◽  
pp. 101-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Tatianne Carréra Szundy
Keyword(s):  
Language Ideology ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Language Ideologies ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
Transnational Mobility

In line with the dialogues that Brazilian applied linguists have established with the fields of sociolinguistics of globalization (BLOMMAERT, 2010) and language ideologies (WOOLARD, 1998; KROSKRITY, 2004) this paper focuses on the language ideologies entextualized in the scope of the program English Without Borders. Parting from the assumption that language faculties in Brazilian public universities have become markets in which English stands as a strategic commodity for students’ mobility in the scope of internationalization policies, discourses about English as the lingua franca for transnational mobility become arenas in which ideologies related to mobility, globalization and nativeness are (re)signified. Taking the program Languages Without Borders and, within it, English Without Borders, as one of these markets, I look into pieces of institutional discourses about the program to problematize the monolingual native-based language ideology and the colonial view of globalization entextualized in these discourses.  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

scholarly journals English as an Interactional Resource for Doing Being Academically Competent: Student Practices in Group Meetings

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Dalby Kristiansen
Keyword(s):  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Academic Competence ◽  
Language Choice ◽  
Local Language ◽  
Project Group ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Academic Activities ◽  
Linguistic Practices ◽  
Group Meetings

An increasing number of Nordic university programmes are offered in English. Consequently, students are expected to carry out academic activities in English rather than the local language. Through ethnomethodological conversation analysis of video recordings of student project group meetings, this article explores how students orient to English in their everyday academic and linguistic practices, focusing on students’ orientations to language proficiency and language choice as resources for displaying academic competence and literacy.

scholarly journals The perceptions of translanguaging through English as a lingua franca among international students in Korean higher education

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-87
Author(s):  
Jaewon Jane Ra
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
International Students ◽  
Ethnographic Methods ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Local Language ◽  
Korean Higher Education ◽  
First Languages

Abstract This article explores how translanguaging is perceived by a group of international students at a Korean university where not only different first languages (L1) and English (L2) are involved in the students’ daily lives but also the local language (L3) holds an important role in the community. Using ethnographic methods, four participants from Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia and South Africa were regularly observed and interviewed in-depth during one academic semester. The findings reveal that the participants had conflicting views towards translanguaging pertaining to their underlying ideologies, that is, whether they considered it as a struggle to use a language or as something natural, fun and cosmopolitan. However, it has been confirmed from this study that whether the participants were positive or negative about translanguaging, it inevitably happened in their daily lives which tells us that the multilingual phenomenon in the field of ELF is worth researching further.

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