Did you know that over 50% of people in the world use more than one language in their daily lives?

At the Sociocultural Linguistics Lab (SoCuL) at the University of Alberta, we study the connections between language, culture, and identity by examining how our beliefs shape our relationship to the languages we speak, don’t speak, or hope to speak.

We collaborate with speakers from a variety of communities, ranging from Indigenous language speakers in Latin America to speakers of immigrant languages here in Alberta. Our research projects investigate the factors that influence where, when, and how they use their languages; their experiences of being multilingual; and the way society reacts to their hybrid language practices and identities.

Through our work, we seek to help Indigenous, immigrant, and minority language speakers feel confident about using their languages and be proud of their multilingual, multicultural identities. Our findings support educational and language policymakers in promoting greater acceptance of all languages in our globalized world.