Prestigious language, pigeonholed speakers
Stances towards the ‘native English speaker’ in a multilingual European institution
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7861346 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Veronika Lovrits (0000-0002-4831-8785, University of Luxembourg Esch‐sur‐Alzette Luxembourg, corresponding author), Julia De Bres (College of Humanities and Social Sciences Massey University/Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Wellington New Zealand) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 398-417 |
| Publication date | 2021-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Sociolinguistics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1360-6441 • E-ISSN: 1467-9841 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/josl.12431 |
| OpenAlex | W3080280919 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 45 |
Critical sociolinguistics has demonstrated that the social construct of the ‘native speaker’ has a strong impact on people's lives, but research on ‘native speaker effects’ in the workplace remains rare. This article examines such effects from the perspective of four ‘native English speaker’ trainees on temporary contracts in a multilingual European Union institution in Luxembourg. Applying the framework of sociolinguistic stance to interview data and drawings, we examine how the participants position themselves towards the ‘native English speaker’ construct at work, and how they think others position them. According to our participants, ‘native English speaker’ positioning confers privilege but restricts opportunities, demonstrating that the interest of a multilingual organisation in using the ‘native English speaker’ as a resource does not automatically provide a powerful position to ‘native English speaking’ workers. Our results featuring trainees in precarious labour conditions raise broader issues regarding the precaritisation of language work in the EU
Construct (python library · First language · Institution · Linguistics · Multilingualism · Pedagogy · Perspective (graphical · Political science · Privilege (computing · Sociolinguistics · Sociology · Computer Science · Multilingual Education and Policy · Psychology · Second Language Learning and Teaching
English and the Discourses of Colonialism
Stancetaking in Discourse
The Cultural Politics of English as an International Language
Stance
English as a Global Language
Questioning linguistic instrumentalism
The stance triangle
Epistemic Stance in English Conversation
The Handbook of Business Discourse
Industrial Workers
Hegemony, social class and stylisation
Language investment in the trajectories of mobile, multilingual humanitarian workers
Trajectory of a language broker
Transnational trajectories of multilingual workers
Multilingual language trainers as language workers
The intersection of global mobility, lifestyle and ELT work
The Language Situation in Luxembourg1
Native-speakerism, stereotyping and the collusion of applied linguistics
English as corporate language” in the multilingual reality of multinational companies
And then we summarise in English for the others’
Multilingualism in European workplaces
Multilingual professionals in internationally operating companies
I’m never going to be part of it’
Elite multilingualism
Political economy in applied linguistics research
Translanguaging Identities and Ideologies
Néolibéralisme, inégalités sociales et plurilinguisme
Negotiating sun use
The Commodification of Language
A Catalyst for Change
Skills and selves in the new workplace
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2025 (2) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |