Description
Book SynopsisThis book begins with the idea that English in the multilingual university is filled with and surrounded by tensions, from the renegotiation and bending of language norms to the emotional strain of the increasing use of English. It explores how these tensions are experienced by those who find themselves in multilingual university settings outside the anglophone world and use English in their research or education. The author examines the use of English in multiple domains in Swedish universities, progressing from macro perspectives on language policies to in-depth qualitative studies of individuals. The book presents both a synthesis of recent scholarship on the use of language in multilingual universities and the author’s own empirical findings, which are situated in a theoretical framework based on the work of Mikhail Bakhtin. The book offers the reader a novel way of tracing the links between language perceptions and practices on the ground, and the forces and processes which govern these practices.
Trade ReviewWith her trademark combination of sharp intellect and sober pragmaticism, Kuteeva perspicaciously offers a counterposition to the orthodoxy of linguistic diversity, pointing out a few elephants in the room. Compellingly written, this must-read book shows what new insights a Bakhtinian perspective can contribute to understandings of why standard English continues to dominate in multilingual universities. * Anna Kristina Hultgren, The Open University, UK *
Maria Kuteeva offers a fascinating fresh perspective on English at a multilingual, non-anglophone university with its linguistic tensions. A welcome feature is imposing a consistent theoretical, Bakhtinian framework on a substantial body of empirical research. The concept of ‘voicedness’ specifically throws linguistic perceptions of different disciplines into sharp relief. * Anna Mauranen, University of Helsinki, Finland *
Maria Kuteeva brings her nuanced understanding of Bakhtin’s provocative theories of speech and language as a powerful lens to analyze perceptions, practices and experiences of English in Sweden’s multilingual universities. A sophisticated and illuminating analysis of the dynamics of English language practices in a non-anglophone university setting, Kuteeva’s book is highly relevant to all academics who write, mentor, edit or publish in English. * Jane K. Cowan, Professor Emerita, University of Sussex, UK *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements
Transcription Conventions
Chapter 1.Tension-Filled English at the Multilingual University: Introduction
Part 1: Multi-Faceted English in Multilingual University Settings
Chapter 2. Exploring Conceptualisations of English: Standard, Lingua Franca and Translingual Practice
Chapter 3.‘More parallel’? English in University Language Policies and Wider Discourses
Part 2: Research Dialogue through ‘Unitary’ Englishes
Chapter 4. Language in Academic Disciplines: The Object of Study and its ‘Voice’
Chapter 5. Towards New ‘Unitary Language’: Language Requirements and Multilingual Researchers’ Perspectives
Part 3: Language Perceptions and Repertoires: Between Unitary and Heteroglossic Englishes
Chapter 6. Shifting Norms: Students’ Perceptions of English as Standard, Lingua Franca and Translingual Practice
Chapter 7. Tensions Between Present and Desired Repertoires: Translingual Writers’ Lived Experience of English and Polyglossic Selves
Chapter 8. Conclusion: Ways Forward for the Study of Tension-Filled English
References
Index
