Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Library & Information Science

Supervisor

Rubin, Victoria L.

Abstract

Established active multilinguals use non-English languages in their information practice, even in English majority locations like Southern Ontario, Canada. This thesis investigated the reasoning highly fluent multilinguals use when selecting languages in their daily life information seeking. Twenty multilingual participants who regularly use sixteen unique languages (including twelve participants fluent in French) were recruited and interviewed using Marian et al.,’s (2007) Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q), which was expanded with novel questions to interrogate information practices. A novel search journal task was additionally included to stimulate practices in a culturally dis-fluent context. Five key language selection rationales were identified following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis: Unequal Resource Representation, Translation Labour Reduction, Social Resources, Self-Management, and Programmed Selection. Multilinguals reported how the context of each language shapes its use in both the online and offline environments of information practice. The unequal representation of information resources means that one language may have more accessible resources, or more culturally or demographically relevant resources than others. The worldwide influence of English, especially in academic and scientific publishing, continues to drive language selection especially in online information seeking. Speakers’ experiences, habits, and individual fluencies with language varieties, registers, writing systems, and topic-specific vocabularies influence their language selection. A language may be selected to avoid the effort needed to produce a translation or risks arising from misunderstanding, to engage in new or established relationships with other multilinguals, to maintain fluency in lesser-used languages, or to enjoy the aesthetic and emotional associations with a language. Multilinguals may also consider governmental obligations for French service provision, and workplace policies when selecting languages. Some decisions are controlled externally, as other people and corporate algorithms send information in languages determined by independent decision-making processes. Overall, this work highlights the multifactorial nature of language selection in multilingual information practice and makes novel observations about the effects of corporate control over how languages are presented online. Methodologically, it develops a novel tool for interrogating search language rationales and the novel Language Selection Rationale model to explain search language decision-making in future studies of multilingual information practice.

Summary for Lay Audience

Multilinguals use non-English languages to ask and answer questions, to gather, organize and apply information, and to complete other information tasks, even in English majority locations like Southern Ontario, Canada. This thesis investigated these information practices in highly fluent multilinguals by asking about their reasons for selecting languages in their daily life information seeking. These interviews were organized around a survey of their language and information search practices and a search journal task. The twenty participants regularly spoke sixteen different languages altogether, including twelve participants who use French. They were interviewed about their reasons for choosing languages with various information sources (e.g., books, friends, radio, etc.) and on various search topics (e.g., sports, news, health, etc.). The researcher analyzed transcripts of the interviews to identify five themes that explain multilinguals’ patterns of language selection: Unequal Resource Representation, Translation Labour Reduction, Social Resources, Self-Management, and Programmed Selection. Multilinguals act in complex information environments and select languages according to their current needs and past habits. Every language has a unique context that shapes how speakers use it for information practice. Each speaker’s experiences and skills in writing systems, topic-specific vocabularies, and their languages’ dialect varieties also influence their language use. Needs that affect language selection include improved access to culturally or location-specific information resources, faster or easier access to resources, maintenance of social relationships, maintenance of lesser-used languages, and enjoyment of the aesthetic and emotional stores of a language. Multilinguals’ language selections are not always under their control: search engine algorithms, workplace policies, laws, and local demographics can strongly influence some languages to be used more frequently. The worldwide influence of English, especially in academic and scientific publishing, continues to drive language selection especially in online information seeking. Overall, this work highlights that features of both the individual speaker and of their languages combine in language selection decisions, and language selections are often made with multiple reasons in mind.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

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