A1 Journal article (refereed)
Language ideological landscapes for students in university language policies : inclusion, exclusion, or hierarchy (2023)

Shirahata, M., & Lahti, M. (2023). Language ideological landscapes for students in university language policies : inclusion, exclusion, or hierarchy. Current Issues in Language Planning, 24(3), 272-292. https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2022.2088165

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Shirahata, Mai; Lahti, Malgorzata

Journal or series: Current Issues in Language Planning

ISSN: 1466-4208

eISSN: 1747-7506

Publication year: 2023

Publication date: 15/06/2022

Volume: 24

Issue number: 3

Pages range: 272-292

Publisher: Routledge

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2022.2088165

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/82181

Abstract

Many universities in non-English speaking countries have been adopting English as a medium of instruction to internationalize their education. We set out to compare the language policies of a Finnish and a Japanese university using the lens of language ideology – a set of normative beliefs about the social dimension of language. Data were collected from selected documents of the two universities, and analyzed utilizing critical discursive psychology. This social constructionist approach allows mapping out language ideological landscapes – interrelationships among different co-occurring language ideologies – from which students may draw ideas about how they orient themselves towards their peers on international campuses today. Our analysis shows that different language ideological landscapes are constructed in the language policies of the two universities, affording them different positioning in the phenomenon of internationalization. The findings suggest that both multilingualism and languaging would be important discursive resources for universities to maintain ethnolinguistic nationalism and ensure equality among students with different linguistic backgrounds, in the process of internationalization of higher education through English. On international campuses where multilingualism is prevalent, students are likely to be constructed as cosmopolitans for inclusion, locals and foreigners for exclusion, or ‘native/native-like and non-native speakers’ for hierarchy through different monolingual language ideologies.

Keywords: universities; internationalisation; language policy; national languages; English language; students; multilingualism; sociolinguistics; hierarchy

Free keywords: language ideologies; social categories for students; university language policies; English as a medium of instruction; critical discursive psychology

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2022

JUFO rating: 1