English Dominance and Linguistic Justice in Contemporary Higher Education Systems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71435/688510Keywords:
English Dominance, Higher Education, Linguistic Justice , Multilingualism, Language PolicyAbstract
Purpose: This study investigates how English dominance operates within higher education institutions and examines its implications for linguistic justice across different institutional language policy contexts. It explores how English shapes institutional governance, academic practices, and participants' experiences while identifying strategies used to negotiate multilingual realities.
Subjects and Methods: An interpretive qualitative design was employed across three universities representing English-medium, bilingual, and local-language policy orientations. Data were collected between January and March 2024 through analysis of institutional documents and semi structured interviews with 18 lecturers, students, and policymakers. The data were analyzed using Critical Discourse Analysis integrated with thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns across institutional and individual perspectives.
Results: The findings reveal that English functions not only as a medium of communication but also as an institutional logic embedded in governance, publication requirements, promotion systems, and internationalization strategies. Despite sharing similar international aspirations, the three universities implemented English differently according to their organizational contexts. Participants perceived English as both an opportunity for academic mobility and a source of linguistic insecurity, workload, and institutional pressure. Translanguaging emerged as an adaptive strategy that balanced global academic expectations with local linguistic practices.
Conclusions: Linguistic justice extends beyond formal language policy and is shaped by the interaction of structural, ideological, and affective dimensions. The study proposes an integrated framework supporting internationalization while promoting multilingual inclusion and equitable academic participation.
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