Bilingualism with minority languages: Why searching for unicorn language users does not move us forward

This paper addresses several problematic scientific practices in psycholinguistic research. We discuss challenges that arise when working with minority languages, such as the notion of monolingual/monocultural normality and its historical origins, the stereotype of native-speakerism, the quest for t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Applied psycholinguistics 2023-05, Vol.44 (3), p.384-399
Main Authors:	Leivada, Evelina, Rodríguez-Ordóñez, Itxaso, Parafita Couto, M. Carmen, Perpiñán, Sílvia
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Bilingualism Control Groups Language Language Acquisition Linguistics Minority languages Monolingualism Multilingualism Original Article Psycholinguistics Social exclusion Sociolinguistics Stereotypes Terminology Towards a Just and Equitable Applied Psycholinguistics Undergraduate Students
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Summary:	This paper addresses several problematic scientific practices in psycholinguistic research. We discuss challenges that arise when working with minority languages, such as the notion of monolingual/monocultural normality and its historical origins, the stereotype of native-speakerism, the quest for testing people who fit specific profiles, the implications of the policy that urges scholars to match bilingual groups to monolingual comparison groups, and the use of powerful theoretical narratives that may evoke problematic labels and ableist terminology. These issues invest the field of psycholinguistics with questionable practices that contribute to the marginalization of groups that do not tick the standard normative boxes. Surveying some of the most widespread scientific practices in the field of psycholinguistics, our emphasis is on how several processes and policies may embody stereotypes that contribute to the exclusion of certain groups from the scientific literature, with grievous consequences for the visibility and the representation of some minoritized languages.
ISSN:	0142-7164 1469-1817