Article published In: Journal of English for Research Publication Purposes
Vol. 3:2 (2022) ► pp.198–224
Who’s reading who?
Surveying languages of research in Timor-Leste
Published online: 1 December 2022
https://doi.org/10.1075/jerpp.21019.qui
https://doi.org/10.1075/jerpp.21019.qui
Abstract
The phenomenon of English ‘colonising’ academic publishing had been observed globally, so that English-speaking academics
rarely need to venture into non-English texts in order to build new knowledge. In the case of research in the education and language fields
in Timor-Leste, academic research and writing appears predominantly in Portuguese, with English as a significant second language of
research. In this case, researchers need to engage across these dominant languages in order to draw on the accumulated
research and knowledge about contexts where research is carried out. Not engaging with both these languages, and other local languages,
risks building incomplete knowledge of the Timorese context.
This paper presents the results of a citation analysis of academic research items written between 1999 and 2020. Findings
indicate that working only within a particular language is frequent among researchers writing in either Portuguese or English, often
ignoring research in the other dominant languages and in local languages. This study suggests that researchers within multilingual
countries need to read widely, considering a range of languages and sources. It also suggests the ways in which technological tools might
help alleviate some of the barriers to inter-language communication around research.
Rezumu
Sé mak lee sé nia peskiza? Survei kona-ba língua peskiza iha Timor-Leste
Ema obzerva ona fenómena kona-ba Inglés ‘koloniza’ publikasaun akadémiku iha mundu tomak, no akadémiku sira ne’ebé
ko’alia Inglés kuaze nunka presiza lee testu iha língua ne’ebé la’ós Inglés hodi bele hetan koñesimentu foun. Husi peskiza akadémiku kona-ba
edukasaun no lingua iha Timor-Leste, barak liu mak iha lian Portugés, no tuirmai iha mós barak iha lian Inglés. Iha peskiza refere,
peskizadór sira tenke iha ligasaun entre língua dominante rua ne’e hodi bele hetan informasaun husi peskiza no koñesimentu
akumuladu kona-ba kontestu ba fatin ne’ebé peskiza hala’o tiha ona. Se ema la lee peskiza iha língua rua ne’e, no mós iha língua lokál sira
seluk, iha risku katak koñesimentu la kompletu kona-ba kontestu Timor.
Peskiza ne’e aprezenta rezultadu husi análize ba situasaun peskiza akadémiku ne’ebé hakerek entre 1999 no 2020.
Rezultadu hatudu katak peskizadór sira sita sira-nia an rasik dala barak iha língua Portugés no mós Inglés, no baibain la haree peskiza
seluk iha língua dominante seluk, no mós iha língua lokál sira. Peskiza ne’e rekomenda katak peskizadór sira iha rai multilinge tenke lee
barak, no konsidera língua no fonte oioin. Peskiza ne’e mós rekomenda oinsá teknolójia dalaruma bele redús barreira balu kona-ba
komunikasaun entre língua relasiona ho peskiza.
Liafuan xave: análize situasaun, peskiza multilinge, Timor-Leste, peskiza língua
Resumo
Quem está a ler quem? Levantamento das línguas de pesquisa em Timor-Leste
O fenómeno da ‘colonização’ das publicações académicas pelo inglês tem sido reconhecido a nível global, de modo que
os académicos anglófonos raramente têm de se aventurar em textos noutras línguas para criar novos conhecimentos. No caso da pesquisa
realizada nos campos da educação e da língua em Timor-Leste, a investigação e escrita académica acontecem predominantemente em português,
com o inglês como uma segunda língua de investigação significativa. Neste caso, os investigadores precisam de fazer ligações com estas
línguas dominantes a fim de se apoiarem na investigação e conhecimento acumulados sobre os contextos onde a investigação é realizada. Na
ausência da ligação com estas duas línguas, e com outras línguas locais, corre-se o risco de construir um conhecimento incompleto do
contexto timorense.
Este trabalho apresenta os resultados de uma análise de citações de itens de investigação académica escritos entre
1999 e 2020. Os resultados indicam que a auto-citação dentro da lingua é elevada entre investigadores que escrevem em português ou inglês,
ignorando assim a investigação nas outras línguas dominantes e nas línguas locais. Este estudo sugere que os investigadores em países
multilingues precisam de ler amplamente, considerando um conjunto de línguas e fontes. Sugere também as formas através das quais as
ferramentas tecnológicas podem ajudar a levantar algumas das barreiras à comunicação interlinguística em torno da pesquisa.
Palavra-chave: análise de citações, pesquisa multilingue, Timor-Leste, pesquisa linguística
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Beginning with a problem: The impetus for this study
- 3.Timor-Leste as a research site
- 4.Academic scholarship
- 5.Methodology
- 5.1Sample parameters
- 5.2Item coding
- 5.3Sample characteristics
- 6.Findings: The patterns of scholarship in language and education
- 6.1Sources cited for scholarship
- 6.2Language of citations
- 7.Discussion
- 8.Conclusion
- Notes
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