Language Problems and Language Planning - Volume 48, Issue 3, 2024

Abstract

This research paper addresses the complex interplay between multilingualism and the pervasive dominance of the English language in academic publishing, particularly focusing on Arabic academic publications in the humanities. This study adopts a comprehensive research methodology, employing both qualitative and quantitative analyses to investigate Arabic research representation in English-dominated academic journals, particularly those indexed in Scopus across various humanities disciplines such as Language and Linguistics, Literature, Islamic Studies, and Translation. The analysis utilizes bibliometric data from Scopus, focusing on publications from 1970 to 2023 that feature “Arabic,” “Arab,” or “Islamic” in their titles, abstracts, or keywords. The results indicate a significant underrepresentation of Arabic scholarship, with English accounting for 85% of publications and Arabic barely reaching 1.1%. The discrepancies in publication trends are obvious, on the levels of countries, author affiliations as well as language of publication. Overall, the results highlight the hegemonic nature of academic publishing, the marginalization of valuable Arabic research and the challenges Arabic-speaking scholars face in gaining recognition. Finally, the study addresses the broader implications of linguistic dominance on global knowledge production and advocates for a more inclusive scholarly landscape that values linguistic diversity through specific recommendations.

Abstract

Language restrictions frequently elicit strong reactions from minority groups. What explains variations in responses to these linguistic policies? Contrary to the expectations of governments that employ restrictive, assimilationist language policies, I find that more severe restrictions on language tend to increase minority demands for self-determination rather than cultivate national unity. Using data from the All Minorities at Risk data set (Birnir et al., 2018), I find support for language’s theorized relationship with self-determination demands. The relationship between restrictions and self-determination demands does not appear in the context of religion, underscoring the particular role that language and language restrictions play.

Abstract

In the vast literature that deals with Mohandas Gandhi, very little attention has been paid to his opinions on questions of language. This essay studies Gandhi’s use of the international auxiliary language, Esperanto, as a negative example of a way to find a common language. Gandhi was willing and able to collaborate with Esperantists. And yet, Esperanto was repeatedly invoked by Gandhi in order to attack it as an utopian ideal irrelevant in Indian contexts. Gandhi’s arguments against Esperanto established the rejection of an internationalism of which he perceived Esperanto to be a part. His rejection of Esperanto as an artificially constructed language is integral to his failure to acknowledge Hindi’s artificial construction and imposition in South Indian contexts. The Gandhi-led All Indian Education Conference at Wardha (1937) is situated in this essay, therefore, within a wider context of linguistic parochialisms.

This article reviews Translation as Social Justice: Translation Policies and Practices in Non-Governmental Organizations

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