Proposing a linguistic repertoires perspective in multilingual higher education contexts

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi36.1542

Keywords:

linguistic repertoires, linguistic inclusion, multilingualism, decolonisation, translanguaging

Abstract

Anglophone Higher Education Institutions have embraced cultural diversity but continue to approach linguistic diversity through a deficit perspective, often treating multilingualism as an obstacle rather than a resource (Preece et al., 2018). This paper argues for the adoption of a linguistic repertoires perspective in learning development to leverage students' full linguistic capacities, thereby enhancing cognitive engagement, fostering inclusivity, and contributing to the decolonisation of academic spaces. Drawing on Cummins (2007), I explore how linguistic repertoires function as cognitive tools, aiding comprehension and critical thinking. Additionally, insights from Park and May (2025) and Preece (2019b) illustrate how integrating linguistic repertoires in learning development promotes inclusion and challenges linguistic discrimination. Finally, inspired by Wei and García (2022), I position linguistic repertoires as central to a decolonising agenda in higher education. I call upon learning developers to create pedagogical frameworks that recognise linguistic diversity as an asset, facilitating equitable and enriched educational experiences.

Author Biography

Melike Bulut Albaba, Sheffield Hallam University

Melike Bulut Albaba is a researcher and teacher educator. Her experience and expertise lie in teacher education, educational development, teacher research, teacher learning and the education of multilinguals. She is recognised as a Senior Fellow by Higher Education Academy. She supervises postgraduate research and takes leadership in international research projects. She is a Senior Lecturer in TESOL and teacher education at Sheffield Hallam University where she leads the External Interdisciplinary Network on Multilingualism.

References

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Gimenez, J. (2020) ‘Edulingualism: linguistic repertoires, academic tasks and student agency in an English-dominant university’, International Journal of Multilingualism, 20(2), pp.656-671 Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2020.1815750

Gornall, L. (2019) ‘Brokering academic literacies in a community of practice’, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, 15. Available at: https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.v0i15.536

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Park, M. Y. and May, S. (2025) ‘Linguistic discrimination in higher education: experiences of North Korean university students in South Korea’, Language, Culture and Curriculum, 38(1), pp.113-129. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2024.2422354

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Preece, S. (2019a) ‘Elite bilingual identities in higher education in the Anglophone world: the stratification of linguistic diversity and reproduction of socio-economic inequalities in the multilingual student population’, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 40(5), pp.404-420. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2018.1543692

Preece, S. (2019b) ‘Postgraduate students as plurilingual social actors in UK higher education’, Language, Culture and Curriculum, 33(2), pp.126-141. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2019.1676767

Preece, S., and Marshall, S. (2020) ‘Plurilingualism, teaching and learning, and Anglophone higher education: an introduction Anglophone universities and linguistic diversity’, Language, Culture and Curriculum, 33(2), pp.117-125. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2020.1723931

Preece, S., Griffin, A., Hao, Y. and Utemuratova, G. (2018) ‘Examining linguistic diversity as a resource for higher education in the anglophone world’, in V. C. H. Tong, A. Standen and M. Sotiriou (eds) Shaping higher education with students: ways to connect research and teaching. London: UCL Press, pp.288-293. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt21c4tcm.45

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Trenkic, D. and Warmington, M. (2019) ‘Language and literacy skills of home and international university students: how different are they, and does it matter?’, Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 22(2), pp.349-365. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S136672891700075X

Wei, L., and García, O. (2022) ‘Not a first language but one repertoire: translanguaging as a decolonizing project’, RELC Journal, 53(2), pp.313-324. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/00336882221092841

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Published

15-06-2025

How to Cite

Bulut Albaba, M. (2025). Proposing a linguistic repertoires perspective in multilingual higher education contexts. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (36). https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi36.1542

Issue

No. 36 (2025)

Section

Opinion Pieces

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