Language is never neutral. It reflects histories of power and reflects whose voices are heard and whose are silenced. In global academia, language can open doors or reproduce inequalities by privileging some forms of expression over others.
The BCDSS recognises linguistic diversity as a fundamental reality of international scholarship and treats it as a core part of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) commitment. This is why we have developed a dedicated Language Policy that challenges the dominance of British and American English as the only accepted standards of academic writing.
Instead of enforcing a narrow definition of “correct” English, the BCDSS actively supports World Englishes: the many national, regional, and transnational varieties used by scholars around the world. By encouraging academics to write in their own variants of English, the BCDSS works against linguistic gatekeeping that often disadvantages scholars who speak and/or write in Englishes other than British or American, languages that are too often filtered out or marginalised in academic publishing.
At the same time, inclusion and quality mutually reinforce each other. All BCDSS publications are reviewed by our in-house Language Editors, who focus on clarity, coherence, and accessibility, without erasing linguistic diversity. In this way, the BCDSS supports both academic excellence and equitable participation.
On International Mother Language Day, we highlight the fact that linguistic diversity is not a problem to be corrected, but a resource that should be recognised and celebrated. Creating a safe space for different Englishes is only one of the ways in which we put our DEI principles into practice, making scholarly communication more inclusive, just, and global.