Academic work demands and the primacy of English: an additional burden for non-native English speakers

Abstract

ABSTRACT For some time, academics have reported the increasing complexity and demands of work (Clegg, S. 2008. “Academic Identities Under Threat?” British Educational Research Journal 34 (3): 329–345. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411920701532269), including the difficulty of gaining permanence (Taylor, A. 2018. Scientists Don’t Stay for Long in Their Jobs Anymore: Study. Accessed July 20, 2023. https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/scientists-dont-stay-for-long-intheir-jobs-anymore--study-65200) and the constant expectation, even if permanent, to publish as first author in high-impact journals (usually English) – where success rates are dropping due to this high demand. Even as native-English speakers, these expectations can be challenging and stressful. However, for non-native speakers, there is an additional demand given the primacy of English: using English as their language of publication. Prior studies suggest two clusters of factors at play: structural (e.g. university publication requirements for permanence) and individual (e.g. career motivation) which interact. But, broader work and life experiences are rarely addressed. So, this study asked: Within the context of their broader lives, what structural and individual factors do 31 LAC researchers perceive and negotiate in making LoP decisions? Furthermore, how do combinations of these interacting factors lead to different LoP decisions? This broader lens offered many insights with implications for researching academic work (e.g. incorporating prior life and work linguistic experiences in LoP decision-making), and native English academics' publishing practices (e.g. as journal editors and reviewers structures).