Postface

ABSTRACT

The contributions in this special issue raise many relevant questions on different levels concerning language policy, the quality of knowledge construction, equality of opportunities, etc. but also, the type of language(s) used in Academia. In summary, a multilingual context and plurilingual practices have a much greater impact on the construction and dissemination of knowledge than assumed by the general public – and many researchers. If the construction of knowledge, in particular in international teams, is linguistically more diverse than its dissemination through publications, the subsequent language choice is not completely predeterminated. Besides ‘English as Lingua Franca’ (ELF), other forms of plurilanguaging or translanguaging confirm the flexibility in implementing multiple repertoires in the construction and transmission of academic knowledge. The history of European science since the Middle Age onwards confirms this assumption in the sense that it can be read like the history of European multilingualism.

KEYWORDS:

• Multilingual science
• English as lingua franca
• history of European science

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributor

Georges Lüdi is professor emeritus of French Linguistics, former Head of the Department of Languages and Literatures and past Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Basel University. He has worked on second language acquisition, linguistic aspects of migration, multilingualism and workplace communication, and educational language policy. He acted as deputy coordinator of the European DYLAN project and served in the Executive Board of AILA. He has been awarded with the distinction of Officer of the Ordre national du mérite by the French government and Doctor honoris causa by the University of Neuchâtel.

Notes

1 https://monitor.icef.com/2013/10/study-finds-more-european-universities-offering-graduate-programmes-in-english/