In the landscape of global communication, English holds a commanding position, especially within the scientific arena. However, this linguistic advantage creates obstacles for researchers
whose first language is not English when it comes to engaging in research activities like reading and writing articles, attending conferences, or presenting work. While these disparities linked to the language barrier have long been observed, they had not been quantified until now. A recent study by researchers from the University of Queensland (Australia) and the University of California, Berkeley (US), published in the journal PLOS Biology on July 18, delves into the disparities in effort required by native and non-native English speakers for scientific undertakings. Chérifa Boukacem-Zeghmouri, a professor of information and communication sciences at Université Claude-Bernard-Lyon-I and an expert in scientific publishing, emphasizes, "No matter how proficient you are in English, those born with English as their mother tongue will always have an inherent advantage in research."
To assess these inequalities, the study involved surveying 908 environmental science researchers from eight nationalities (Bangladeshi, Bolivian, Nepalese, Nigerian, Ukrainian, Spanish, Japanese, and British), selected for their diverse economic backgrounds and varying English proficiency levels. These criteria aimed to "differentiate the impact of language barriers from other types of barriers in science, particularly economic ones."
The researchers asked participants to quantify the effort needed for their daily scientific activities. On average, non-native English speakers spent 46.6% more time reading an article if their English proficiency was average, and a significant 90.8% more time if their proficiency was poor. Similarly, writing also required more time. Vincent Larivière, a professor of information science at the Université de Montréal, remarked, "It's evident that significant time is lost for non-native English speakers."
Of utmost significance, non-native English-speaking researchers are 2.6 times more likely to face article rejections from scientific journals due to language-related reasons. This disadvantage poses a considerable challenge in an increasingly competitive field. Boukacem-Zeghmouri explains, "The race to publication is fierce, and these inequalities can significantly impact one's career." Beyond hindering publication opportunities, a lack of fluency in English can also impede integration into the scientific community. The choice to abstain from participating in or hosting scientific conferences due to language barriers further widens the divide. Photo by palg1305, Wikimedia commons.