How universities and gender shape multilingual language use in India
What is it about?
India is a multilingual country where students often use more than one language in their daily lives. This study explores how university students in India use multiple languages in different settings, such as at home and on campus. It also examines whether factors like gender and the type of university (public or private) influence these language practices. Our findings show that students naturally combine languages to communicate more effectively, but their choices are shaped by institutional expectations and social norms. In some cases, English is preferred for academic purposes, while local languages remain important for identity and informal communication. Gender and institutional culture also play a role in shaping how comfortably students use multiple languages. The study highlights the need for higher education policies and teaching practices that recognise and support multilingual realities rather than enforcing rigid language boundaries. By understanding how students actually use language, universities can create more inclusive and equitable learning environments.
Why is it important?
This study is timely because multilingualism is increasingly recognised in education policy, particularly in the context of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, yet there is limited empirical evidence from higher education settings. What makes this work unique is its focus on translanguaging in Indian universities and its examination of how institutional culture and gender shape multilingual practices. While much research on translanguaging has been conducted in Western or school contexts, this study provides context-specific evidence from a linguistically diverse Global South setting. By demonstrating how students actually navigate language choices in real academic environments, the findings challenge rigid monolingual norms and offer practical insights for university policy, teacher training, and inclusive pedagogy. This contributes to ongoing global debates about language, equity, and internationalisation in higher education.