Title of Study: Exploring the Linguistic Landscape at UFV
Researcher:
María Eugenia De Luna, PhD
Associate Professor, Modern Languages (MOLA)
University of the Fraser Valley
maria.deluna@ufv.ca
Purpose of the Study
This study examines the linguistic landscape at UFV, focusing on the visibility of Halq’eméylem and other languages on our campuses. The goal is to better understand how languages are represented and how this connects to Indigenization and multilingualism.
Procedures
You are invited to complete an online survey that takes about 5–10 minutes. The survey will ask about your awareness and perceptions of Halq’eméylem signage at UFV. Participation is voluntary, and you may skip any question you prefer not to answer.
Eligible participants are UFV students, faculty, and staff aged 17 or older.
After completing the survey, you may choose to enter a draw for two $25 gift cards. The odds of winning depend on the total number of respondents (for example, 1 in 25 if 50 people complete the survey). The draw will be conducted separately from survey data to preserve anonymity.
Risks
Some questions may cause emotional discomfort, such as feelings of stress, shame, or sensitivity for Indigenous participants when reflecting on experiences of language visibility. You may skip any question you do not wish to answer.
Benefits
There are no direct personal benefits to you for participating. However, your input will help reflect on the visibility of Indigenous languages on campus and support reconciliation efforts.
Confidentiality
Because the survey is anonymous, once you submit your responses, they cannot be withdrawn. If you exit before submitting, partial responses will not be kept.
To preserve anonymity, the optional gift-card draw uses a separate, unlinked form that asks only for your name and contact information. A research assistant or designated administrator manages the draw, not the PI, and the PI does not access draw entries. After a winner is selected, only the winner’s name and contact details are provided to UFV Finance to issue the gift card; the draw file is deleted on a set timeline.
The survey is administered through Survey Monkey, whose servers for UFV accounts are located in Canada. Your responses will be downloaded to secure, password-protected UFV storage and used only for research purposes. The instructor will not know who participates.
Voluntary Participation
Your participation is entirely voluntary. The instructor will not know who is participating. If you are a student in one of my courses, please note that your decision to participate or not participate will not affect your grades, academic standing, or relationship with me as your instructor. You may choose not to answer any question and may exit the survey at any time before submitting it. If you withdraw before submitting the survey, your partial responses will not be kept. If you entered the gift card draw and later withdraw, your contact information will be removed from the draw database upon request.
By submitting the survey, you are providing your consent to participate.
Dissemination of Results
A summary of the results will be shared with the UFV community and Indigenous partners in accessible formats. Results may also be published in academic journals and presented at conferences.
Contact Information
If you have questions about this study, please contact:
Researcher: Dr. María Eugenia De Luna – maria.deluna@ufv.ca
If you have concerns about your rights as a participant, please contact:
UFV Human Research Ethics Board (HREB): ethics@ufv.ca
This project has been reviewed and approved by the UFV Human Research Ethics Board (Protocol No. 101843)