Social origin, language skills and scientific publication patterns in Argentina, Brazil and Chile

Abstract

This article analyzes the conditions of acquisition of linguistic competence in the English language and the use of foreign languages in the publications of researchers from Argentina, Brazil and Chile. The analysis is based on the results of a cross-national survey carried out on samples of the researchers most integrated into the central nucleus of the scientific system of each country. In relation to the main focus of the article, the modalities of acquisition of linguistic competence and its relationship with sociodemographic factors, such as social origin, and with the educational trajectory are addressed. On the other hand, the association between linguistic competence and scientific publication, and the place of scientific disciplines in the use of foreign languages are analyzed. The results show that there is a connection between social origin, educational trajectory, ways of acquiring English skills and the level of these skills. However, and regardless of their linguistic proficiency, the majority of researchers in the three countries publish in English and, in any case, their level of competence has an impact on writing strategies (whether autonomous, collaborative or mediated by professional translation). In comparative terms, Brazilian scientists publish the most in English, although in the Chilean case the lower proportion of publications in this language could be due to the greater weight of social and human scientists in the sample, since, in these disciplines, at least in Latin America, English has not acquired a lingua franca status equivalent to that of the natural sciences.