What aspects of diversity do you want to consider and why?
This intervention proposes a focused support mechanism for students whose first language is not English, specifically in the context of writing for publication. UAL academic support only addresses structural aspects of writing and tutors are not allowed to edit or proofread students’ texts. Assessment criteria at undergraduate and postgraduate levels do not penalise texts that sound written by non-native english speakers. [Not quite sure about this – I need to ask my colleagues.] However, the linguistic and stylistic demands of academic publishing are far more rigorous. These include not only clarity and grammatical accuracy, but also a highly specific, idiomatic register of English that often reflects a monolingual, monocultural norm shaped by a particular editorial culture.
The intervention aims to support students navigating this normative ideal of ‘sounding English’. (And, maybe in the future, to challenge the broader implications of linguistic hegemony in academic publishing.)
I recognise that many students face difficulties with academic writing, however, this intervention centres on non-native English speakers, whose challenges involve difficulty in dominating stylistic conventions of Anglophone scholarly writing.
This intervention draws directly from my own position as:
- A non-native English researcher and lecturer;
- A peer reviewer and editorial assistant for academic journals;
- A facilitator of the Preparing for Publication peer review group at UAL, which supports postgraduate students across disciplines;
- A workshop leader at UAL Doctoral School’s writing retreats.
Through these experiences, I have encountered cases where students are told to ‘polish their English’ or hire professional editors. For example, one PhD student I worked with paid over £800 for language editing, and had her paper rejected by an academic journal.
What I want to implement:
The issue is complex, and I do not intend to overhaul the entire culture of academic writing. Instead, my intervention aims to offer practical support to students who need help with writing now. Possible approaches might include a peer editorial support group focused on helping students refine and adapt their language for academic publication; toolkit of how to use AI tools to support the process of ‘Englishing’ and ‘academicising’ their texts (if AI can actually help); workshops/discussions with journal editors to understand their expectations and biases in relation to academic writing.