Reconsidering the shape of power: Challenges of interviewing elites in a later-learned language

This paper seeks to explore the intersections of power, language and positionality in shaping the elite interviewing process. Although language is recognised as a key factor in building power relations, the role of language is rarely discussed in methodological literature, particularly in the context of interviewing elites. To address this gap, I draw on two interviews I conducted with an elite participant using a later-learned language (LX) for my doctoral project, to explore the tensions arising from my language anxiety, the power asymmetry, and the divergent perceptions of my positionality between myself and the elite. The paper reveals the unique challenges of interviewing elites in one's LX, highlights the interconnectedness of language, power and positionality in shaping and re-shaping the research process, while encouraging researchers to acknowledge and communicate their own vulnerabilities as a potential means of bridging the gap in power.