Tension-Filled English at the Multilingual University

With her trademark combination of sharp intellect and sober pragmaticism, Kuteeva perspicaciously offers a counterposition to the orthodoxy of linguistic diversity, pointing out a few elephants in the room. Compellingly written, this must-read book shows what new insights a Bakhtinian perspective can contribute to understandings of why standard English continues to dominate in multilingual universities. * Anna Kristina Hultgren, The Open University, UK *
Maria Kuteeva offers a fascinating fresh perspective on English at a multilingual, non-anglophone university with its linguistic tensions. A welcome feature is imposing a consistent theoretical, Bakhtinian framework on a substantial body of empirical research. The concept of ‘voicedness’ specifically throws linguistic perceptions of different disciplines into sharp relief. * Anna Mauranen, University of Helsinki, Finland *
Maria Kuteeva brings her nuanced understanding of Bakhtin’s provocative theories of speech and language as a powerful lens to analyze perceptions, practices and experiences of English in Sweden’s multilingual universities. A sophisticated and illuminating analysis of the dynamics of English language practices in a non-anglophone university setting, Kuteeva’s book is highly relevant to all academics who write, mentor, edit or publish in English. * Jane K. Cowan, Professor Emerita, University of Sussex, UK *

In reading this book, one is struck by an exemplary narrative structure that acutely engages with Bakhtinian perspectives (heteroglossia, dialogism, unitary language) in comprehensive and original ways, offering insights into the interplay between English and other languages in multilingual, multicultural academia, as well as the intricate social and emotional facets of language use and the hidden connections between perception and practice.

* Joyce Kling and Sophia Juul, Lund University, Sweden, Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 2024 *

[This book] offers an abundance of interesting viewpoints for those interested in the use of English in non-Anglophone contexts. It is relevant to all academics who instruct, write, or publish in English and would be particularly informative for anyone working or studying in an English as a foreign language (EFL) or English-medium instruction (EMI) program.  

* Salem Kim Hicks, Ritsumeikan University, Japan, GALE 2024 Vol. 16 *

[This book] offers a solid and inspiring attempt to come to terms with the thought of one of the 20th century’s most ground-breaking scholars of language. By unpacking the complexities of English in multilingual university with the Bakhtinian toolkit, Kuteeva brings clarity, confidence, and excitement in regard to the task ahead of those engaged with this research object.

* Luke Holmes, University of the West of Scotland, UK, Applied Linguistics, 2023 *

In this meticulous seminal work, Maria Kuteeva provides an insightful examination of the complex tensions and struggles surrounding the role of English as the academic lingua franca in today’s progressively more diverse higher education institutions. Adeptly applying the ground-breaking theories of Mikhail Bakhtin, Kuteeva offers a fresh analytical lens for unravelling the contradictory centrifugal and centripetal forces at play when a ‘unitary’ standardized English encounters the dialogic heteroglossia of multilingual universities outside the Anglophone base.

* Ali Karakaş, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Türkiye, JELF 2023; 12(2) *