This report aims to address:
- Retention of Language Development (LD) students at London College of Fashion (LCF)
- Translation, Mediation and Cognition
- Inclusivity in the “international” multi-cultural, multi-lingual university space.
Contextualization
Regarding my own positionality, and ontology, I am cognizant of my relative privilege – as a white man in my late 40s living in the capital city of an advanced capitalist economy in the Global North, not to mention the fact that I speak English as a first language – I am, ostensibly, close to the apex of the power pyramid.
However, the murder of Steven Lawrence in Eltham SE London 1993, the consequence of the everyday street level racism of the 1980s and 1990s, and the demonstration that racism permeated institutions and social structures, provoked my belief in anti-racism (Kendi, 2019). “White privilege” often confused with wealth and power, being the “absence of having to live with the consequences of racism” (C4, 2020). I remember vividly the aftermath, the faces of his killers, assured that the system would protect them from justice. The murder eventually resulted in the Macpherson Report (1999), with the promise of “a pivotal moment in the advance of race equality in Britain” (Gillborn et al., 2017, pp. 848-849).
Racism involves both ideological and practical subordination (Golash- Borza, 2016), the synthesis of prejudice and power structures to sustain the dominance of privilege; “white supremacy” being a system which grants protections and power (Saad, 2020). Racism is perhaps less about the measure of social characteristics than the relationship between the dominant and the subordinate (Bhavnani, Mizra and Meeto, 2005), can be covert (Coates and Morrison, 2011), and becomes institutionalized when organizations fail to provide “an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture, or ethnic origin” (MacPherson, 1999, para 6.34). Inequalities may emerge unintentionally (Banaji, Fiske & Massey, 2021) and, in the HE context, examples of systemic and structural racial inequality include gaps in award, retention and progression, and differing experiences of “othering” (Advance HE, 2021 – also see Holmes (2025a) blog post on race).
Fig 1. Percentage Continuation by Ethnicity (5 way). (UAL, 2025)
UAL data (see example figure 1) is useful in analyzing disparities among home students, however my intervention focuses, primarily, on a demographic, which must also be addressed reflexively regarding race and class. Chinese students axiologically represent global socio- economic superiority over home students given the price tag of their tuition fees being at least 100% more than their home student counterparts. The intersectional lens of social class, overlooked in the breakdown of data, and potentially a factor in the perception and treatment of Chinese students, ironically given the logic of disenfranchisements in Crenshaw’s (1991) thesis of intersectionality.
Anecdotally, Chinese students themselves have indicated their cognizance of socio- economic class superiority over home students. This is further compounded by the data collected regarding different racial groups being orientated by the requirements of the 2010 Equality Act (Gov.UK, 2023), international students absent via the intersectional lenses afforded to the analysis of home students. There is no specific data about the actual number of Chinese students at UAL, yet it is common knowledge that they make up the vast proportion of international students.
One struggle for (non-compulsory) LD is attendance, and one potential factor affecting this may be perceptions around inclusivity and identity. It is a conundrum that through the universal offer, those who are in most need of support may feel intimidated by more competent speakers (including L1) and are then less inclined to attend.
In the multicultural, multilingual space of the LD classroom, Chinese students will usually all sit together, this is understandable from the perspective of a shared language and identity, and not surprising with over 150,000 Chinese nationally, 90,000 of whom are postgraduates, that many should end up spending a lot of time with other Chinese students (Ebel, 2024, p.7). These students disclose that they “want to integrate better” and diversify friendship groups but feel unable to do this; often citing that they feel like they are being treated as sources of revenue (“cash cows”) rather than as valued members of the community (Ibid).
A critical incident observed during a presentation workshop illustrated this exclusivity. There were 8 students – all female – 7 home (mainly white – but one black British) and one Chinese. The Chinese student sat alone at the front, so I asked the student to sit with the others so that she could participate in group work. However, the home students worked together and still excluded the Chinese student. The refusal of the home students to be inclusive – struck me as being something endemic within the university. This student will be reluctant to repeat the experience – affecting attendance and learning. Students in HE do not acknowledge these microaggressions as being racism, although a deeper exploration reveals that this denial is rooted in the lack of discourse around “‘anti-Asian racism,” and may be obscured and complicated by intersections “with other power axes such as gender” (Yu et al. 2023, p.1700). The exclusion of the student was based on their racialized -“othered” characteristic. Central to this identity is the language barrier, although it is the plurality of languages that may hold the key to building an intercultural space and the mediation of worldviews, not restricted to the acquisition of the hegemonic (colonial) language: English.
Translanguaging and Paraphrasing
Translanguaging is the act of accessing different linguistic features or various modes of “autonomous languages,” to optimize the potential for communication (Garcia, 2009, p.140). However, as Friere (2005, p.90) notes, dialogue cannot exist when one or both parties lack humility. This means that teachers must foster a space where mutual inclusion can occur.
Paraphrasing is an essential skill in academic discourse, both in the production of writing and speaking, for several reasons. AI and machine translation enables generic product but lacks process: the cognitive linguistic synthesis of academic voices. In the context of HE, it is this process which enables students to demonstrate understanding of ideas and discourse, and crucially, enable autonomous learning. It also offers opportunities to explore how the differences between language systems can reveal the plurality of paradigmatic world views. The relationship between culture and language is deeply rooted in how language reflects perspective, where the plurality of ideas results from the plurality of languages in use (Ponorac, 2022).
A “worldview lack of awareness of our own language and language use arises from the fact that as we master our native tongue, it in turn masters us” (Fantini, 1989, p.2). This “Linguistic determinism” can be defined as the system through which we understand and mediate the world and individuals exposed to a second language may develop an expanded vision of the world, facilitating participation with other cultural groups, “expanding qualitatively our social possibilities” (Ibid, pp.2-3). This mediation also has cognitive, social, and pragmatic benefits for first language (L1) speakers of English in engaging in this collaboration in the LD classroom. Learners as social agents focus on meaning making and communicating beyond linguistic and cultural barriers; all mediation relies on collaborative processes (CE, 2022).
Reflection, Action and Evaluation
Through peer discussion I have gained more confidence with the validity of the idea, for example PG Cert Fellow Jeff highlighted how the experience of “non-native” (L2) speakers of English at UAL resonates with Bourdieu’s (1991) concept of linguistic capital, privileging English – and English speakers – within academic and societal “markets,” marginalizing those who are not. My tutor Kwame also gave me inspiration with how to frame this intervention through examples to my students – in the Ghanaian language of his parents there are no differentiations between pronouns, as opposed to English (where recently this has become a highly politicized issue); drawing on another peer example, the diverse language of colours also provides a way into understanding the relationship between how language(s) can inform our world view.
Fig 2. Language Development LCF Speaking and Listening Class: Student writing Chinese translations of key words from discussion (May 2025)
Fig. 3. Language Development_BSc Fashion Management Class: Student writing Chinese translation of keyword for analysis (May 2025)
I have afforded opportunities for students (only Chinese thus far) to write translations for key words and terms in the whiteboard/ flip chart (a tactile typography outside the digital space). This not only brings the visualization of culture through the visual representation of language into the foreground, but also provides the opportunity to explain the complexity of meanings, and how this might affect our world view (see Figure 2. and 3). Thus far this has been an illuminating process in which students’ culture and language is not hidden but forms a meaningful part of the learning process. This metalinguistic level of discussion also has potential for first language speakers in understanding how language informs their world view, although they will also need to be supported in the metalinguistics required for this discourse.
My idea is based on two activities/ procedures – firstly, using the above to allow students to provide a translation then present their evaluation of the different ways that languages interpret this word, ad hoc during lessons. Secondly, drawing on Intercultural Communication Zine workshops – (see figure 4 and 5) – also see Ramejkis (n.d.) and Holmes (2025b), a process of collaborative interaction and production of Zines or posters, where real collaboration and cultural sharing can occur. This is also intended to be a means of exploring dialectical variation both lexico-grammatically and phonemically, applicable to the range of contexts within the English-speaking body of students.
Fig 4. Welcome Week Zine Workshop Chelsea College of Arts (Autumn 2024)
Fig 5. Example of student Zine created at CCW Welcome Week Zine workshops (Autumn 2024)
This intervention will be evaluated cross sectionally using an ethnographic approach of student interactions and qualitative surveys (Saunders, Thornhill and Lewis, 2023) which could yield insights into student’s perceptions about both the value of the activities and their attitudes towards speakers of other languages – and through the analysis of the collaborative products themselves.
The procedure aims to practice mediation, paraphrasing, translanguaging and expansion of world view, in the production of a cross-cultural artefact – exploring both denotation and connotation in the representation and cognitive significance of language. In 2025/26 I aim to foster a community of discourse where a plurality of cultures and languages can be seen as a gift rather than a burden to the learning experiences of all students.
Word count 1650 (not including title, figure captions and reference list)
List of Figures
1. Percentage Continuation by Ethnicity (5 way). (UAL, 2025)
2. Language Development LCF Speaking and Listening Class: Student writing Chinese translations of key words from discussion (May 2025)
3. Language Development_BSc Fashion Management Class: Student writing Chinese translation of keyword for analysis (May 2025)
4. Welcome Week Zine Workshop Chelsea College of Arts (Autumn 2024)
5. Examples of student Zines created at CCW Welcome Week Zine workshops (Autumn 2024)
References
AdvanceHE (2021) ‘Understanding Structural Racism in UK Higher Education: an introduction’ Available at: https://warwick.ac.uk/services/sg/si/diversity/advance_he_-_understanding_racism_report.pdf (Accessed on 12 June 2025)
Banaji, M. R., Fiske. ,S. T., and Massey, D. S. (2021) ‘Systemic racism: individuals and interactions, institutions and society’ Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 82.
Bhavnani, R, Mirza, H S, and Meetoo, V. (2005). Tackling the roots of racism: Lessons for success. Bristol: Policy Press
Bourdieu, P. (1991) Language and Symbolic Power. Edited by J.B. Thompson. Translated by G. Raymond and M. Adamson. Cambridge: Polity Press
C4 – Channel 4. (2020) The School That Tried to End Racism. [Online}. Youtube. 30 June. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I3wJ7pJUjg (Accessed on 5th June 2025)
CE- Council of Europe (2025) ‘Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): Mediation. ‘Available at https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/mediation (Accessed on 25/05/25)
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Fantini, A.E. (1989) ‘Language and Worldview’ Journal of Bahá’í Studies Vol. 2-2: this paper was presented in Ottawa, October 7–10, 1988, at the Association’s Thirteenth Annual Conference, “Towards a Global Civilization.”
Friere, P. (2005) Pedagogy of the Opressed: 30th Anniversary Edition, (Originally published 1970): Noew York: Continuem
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Gillborn, D., Demack, S., Rollock, N., and Warmington, P. (2017) ‘Moving the goalposts: Education policy and 25 years of the Black/White achievement gap’ British Educational Research Journal Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. 848–874 DOI: 10.1002/berj.3297
Golash-Boza, T. (2016) ‘A critical and comprehensive theory of race and racism’, Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 2(2): 129– 41.
Gov.UK (2013) The Equality Act 2010. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance (Accessed on 14th July 2025)
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Holmes, I. D. (2025b) Reflective Post 4: Reflections on ‘zines,’ ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ in the multicultural university learning space. Available at: https://pgcertianholmes2025.myblog.arts.ac.uk/2025/03/18/blog-4-reflections-on-a-zine-fair-roots-and-routes-in-the-multicultural-university-learning-space/ (Accessed on 25th May 2025)
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Ramejkis, A. (n.d.) ‘#amazines workshops 23/24 some feedback and reflections. Available at: https://artslondon-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/i_holmes_arts_ac_uk/EamkKnaSxQBFgL-Q3qqhFwoBJ-fb4adjjaDdGfLH8QV1OQ?e=ouaEsI (Accessed 25/05/25)
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Yu, J., Rai, R., Lim, M.A., and Li, H. (2023) ‘The post‑racial myth: rethinking Chinese university students’ experiences and perceptions of racialised microaggressions in the UK.’ Higher Education (2024): 88:1695–1710 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-023-01126-5