Autoethnographic Explorations of Lived Raciolinguistic Experiences Among Multilingual Scholars: Looking Inward to Move Forward

While substantial research has looked backward at the colonial history of language and forward to the potential of decolonizing English for linguistic justice, there is a lack of investigation looking inward at the lived raciolinguistic experiences of multilingual scholars. This edited collection opens a healing space for storytelling and deepens readers' understanding of raciolinguistics in practice through autoethnography. The book brings together language education researchers and scholars, with each author representing and in contact with multiple cultural, linguistic and ethnic backgrounds. Together they create a community of practice to bring scholars with diverse backgrounds together for inward reflections on their lived raciolinguistic experiences. Through this journey, the book empowers both the chapter contributors and readers and allies who may see themselves in the stories to reflect, learn and change their practices, and provides valuable insights into raciolinguistics and autoethnography as a research method.

Qianqian Zhang-Wu is Assistant Professor of English & Director of Multilingual Writing, Northeastern University, USA. She is the author of Languaging Myths and Realities: Journeys of Chinese International Students (Multilingual Matters, 2021) which won the 2022 CIES Study Abroad and International Students SIG Best Book Award.

Bridget Goodman is Associate Professor of Multilingual Education, Graduate School of Education, Nazarbayev University, Astana Kazakhstan. She is co-editor of  Researching Multilingually:  Conceptual and Methodological Failures, Struggles and Successes (Multilingual Matters, 2025, with Brian Seilstad).