Louise Rolland: Building inclusive language practices into the research process: examples of linguistic reflexivity
When:
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Venue:
Birkbeck Central
In the UK, the use of English as the institutional language of universities coincides with the dominance of English in international academic publications, so that English is typically the default language used by researchers to plan and conduct their research. This often masks the multilingual lived reality of researchers, research participants and/or the research context. Holmes et al. (2013, 2016) provided a framework for engaging with the affordances and complexities of researching multilingually, which informed my doctoral research on multilingualism in psychotherapy. Discussing methodological dilemmas within the postgraduate research community at Birkbeck and beyond led to peer collaboration on a special issue for the Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, which aimed to make language dynamics visible (Rolland, King & Lorette, 2023). In our introduction, we proposed the term linguistic reflexivity to encourage researchers to engage in “reflexivity towards the language(s) used (or not used) by all those present in the research process – participants and researchers included” (op. cit.: 647).
In this presentation, I will give an overview of linguistic considerations throughout the research life cycle, drawing on the growing literature in this area. From considering reading sources in languages other than English, to articulating an inclusive interview language policy (Rolland, 2023) through a translanguaging stance (Gordon, 2022), and finally considering the language(s) of data analysis and reporting (Duda & Loliwe, 2026), I will share examples of how researchers and participants can be empowered to draw on their linguistic repertoires when sharing and generating knowledge. Intentionality and creativity emerge as key in this work, which is driven by ethical concerns of linguistic representation and epistemic justice, as well as methodological concerns about eliciting trustworthy data. In addition, linguistic reflexivity can inform how literature and research methods are taught in higher education, responding to calls to decolonise university curricula and to recognise the university as a multilingual space (Preece, 2020; Ryder & Lazar, 2025).
References:
Duda, T. & Loliwe, B. (2026). Umhlaba Wethu: Linkqubo, iingcamango, nengqiqo yesiXhosa ngomhlaba, South African Journal on Human Rights, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/02587203.2026.2634905.
Gordon, R. R. (2022). Translanguaging pedagogy as methodology: Leveraging the linguistic and cultural repertoires of researchers and participants to mutually construct meaning and build rapport. In P. Holmes, J. Reynolds, & S. Ganassin (Eds.), The politics of researching multilingually (pp. 267–286). Multilingual Matters.
Holmes, P., Fay, R., Andrews,J., & Attia, M. (2013). Researching multilingually: New theoretical and methodological directions. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 23(3), 285–299.
Holmes, P., Fay, R., Andrews, J., & Attia, M. (2016). How to research multilingually: Possibilities and complexities. In Z. Hua (Ed.), Research methods in intercultural communication: A practical guide (pp. 88–102). John Wiley & Sons.
Preece, S. (2020). Postgraduate students as plurilingual social actors in UK higher education. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 33(2), 126–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2019.1676767
Rolland, L. (2023). ‘I’m sure at some point we’ll be switching’: Planning and enacting an interview language policy with multilingual participants. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 44(8), 702–717.
Rolland, L., King, H., & Lorette, P. (Eds.) (2023). Methodological implications of participant and researcher multilingualism: Making language dynamics visible [Special Issue. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 44(8), 645-656. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2023.2224774
Ryder, A. & Lazar, G. (2025). Multilingualism as an asset – devising a Toolkit for academic staff at a British University, Innovations in Education and Teaching International. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2025.2561032
Bionote:
Dr Louise Rolland is an Honorary Research Fellow at Birkbeck (University of London) and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Essex. She holds a PhD in applied linguistics from Birkbeck and her research focuses on multilingualism, with a special interest in the relationship between language and emotions, memory and identity. Her thesis explored language practices in psychotherapy from the perspective of multilingual clients. Her work also interrogates language practices within research projects and academic writing, arguing for greater linguistic reflexivity and inclusivity. Her interdisciplinary research has been published in applied linguistics and psychotherapy journals and volumes. She was a British Academy International Writing Workshops 2023 awardee, co-organising an academic writing programme for early career researchers in applied linguistics and psychology in Kenya until April 2026.
Contact name: Bojana Petric
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