Why Is My Computer Still Monolingual?

Talk
Manuel A. Pérez-Quiñones
Talk Series: 
Time: 
03.06.2023 14:00 to 15:00

Over 60% of the world and 20% of the US population speak more than one language. Bilingual speakers are known for fluidly switching between languages. Yet computer systems, from desktops, to phones, to voice assistants force bilingual individuals to choose and use just one language at a time. Furthermore, interfaces often conflate language and region. To understand the impact of these design decisions, we interviewed 20 multilingual users to explore how language and technology interact. The results show a complexity of reasons why people choose and use a particular language, how users adapt their interaction to circumvent limitations of a monolingual interface, and how bilingual interactions are crucial for connecting families across national/language borders. We close with discussion of this ideology of monolingualism and its implications for an inclusive society.