‘Researching multilingually’ in doctoral supervision

Perspectives and capacity building

Bibliographic Data

ID17656339
AuthorsSara Ganassin (0000-0002-0373-542X, Newcastle University, corresponding author), Judith Reynolds (0000-0003-3154-4919, Newcastle University), Ashleigh Regan (0000-0001-7404-0572, Newcastle University)
Year2026
Pages1-19
Publication date2026-05-03
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLanguage Culture and Curriculum (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0790-8318 • E-ISSN: 1747-7573
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/07908318.2026.2666554
OpenAlexW7160151622
LanguageEN
References cited20

Doctoral education in the UK lacks guidance and institutional policies about how supervisors can effectively support doctoral students conducting research that involves more than one language, and there is little empirical research on supervisors’ experiences. This paper reports on the qualitative component of a mixed-methods study on ‘Researching Multilingually’ awareness and practice amongst doctoral supervisors in a Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty of a research-intensive British university. Following training workshops for supervisors, focus groups explored ten supervisors’ experiences of and attitudes towards supporting doctoral students working across languages in their research. Thematic analysis of the focus groups shows that supervisors’ awareness of linguistic diversity in the doctoral research space is often implicit or emerging, with little consideration of multilingualism as a pedagogical or epistemological dimension of research practice. However, supervisors are willing to engage more fully when supported by a structured reflective framework for implementing a researching multilingually approach, accessible resources, and institutional recognition. Participants suggested that the promotion and content of materials relating to Researching Multilingually needed to be accessible, particularly to supervisors in non-language-related disciplines. Overall, our findings reframe ‘Researching Multilingually’ not just as a research practice, but also as a valuable pedagogical resource for supervision across disciplines.

Capacity building · Capacity development · Qualitative research · Work (physics) · Artistic and Creative Research · Doctoral Education Challenges and Solutions · Multilingual Education and Policy

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