English as a local lingua franca in the multilingual ecology of Northeast India
2025 - 2029, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
This project examines the role of English within the multilingual ecology of Northeast India, a region of exceptional linguistic diversity within India, the world’s most populous nation and a rapidly growing economy. It is part of a research unit funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (2025-2029; FOR 5728), titled “Convergence on Dominant Language Constellations: World Englishes in their local multilingual ecologies” (CODILAC). The Research Unit encompasses seven projects, each investigating one multilingual world region: Botswana, Cebu City (the Philippines), Cyprus, Kurdistan Region (Iraq), Lagos (Nigeria), North-East India, and Tanzania.
Our analysis draws upon the concepts of language repertoires and Dominant Language Constellations (DLCs), which are defined as follows: An individual’s language repertoire includes the languages they can speak and understand, while the DLC consists of the languages
a person uses in everyday life. Beyond individual relevance, we are interested in sociolinguistic patterns and outcomes stemming from language contact, migration, and globalization, with the aim of uncovering the multilingual ecology of Northeast India. To this end, 180 participants will complete comprehensive questionnaires about linguistic practices and attitudes, with 60 also participating in semi-structured interviews. These interviews will form part of a corpus for
further analysis.
We anticipate that the DLCs in Northeast India will involve many diverse languages, most frequently featuring English, Hindi, and Assamese. Furthermore, we expect a correlation between language repertoires, DLCs, and socioeconomic status: Lower- and middle-status speakers are likely to exhibit larger repertoires compared to high-status speakers, influenced by their L1s and additional languages. Migration is also expected to shape distinct DLCs. This study presents a critical perspective on the under-researched linguistic diversity in Northeast India, illuminating how the region navigates its multilingual ecology amidst rapid economic growth and historic marginalization. These insights hold global significance for understanding linguistic diversity within evolving socio-economic contexts.