‘The standard remains the same’: language standardisation, race and othering in higher education

Abstract

As the result of global changes, government policy, and university initiatives, institutions of higher education in Canada have become increasingly linguistically and racially diverse. Traditionally—through policy, curriculum, instruction, and assessment—Canadian universities have promoted a subjective, monolithic, and racialized ‘Standard’ English. Efforts to limit linguistic heterogeneity in higher education, however, are increasingly at odds with the global flows and hyperdiversity of the world in which we live. Internationalization of Canadian campuses has implications for university policies and practices around English language variation. Drawing on a review of relevant literature, policy document analysis and semi-structured interviews with academic staff and international students, this paper explores the relationship between settler colonialism, race, and English language variation at a Canadian university.