Researching Vulnerability in Multilingual Contexts: Trauma, Ethics, and Pedagogy

Abstract This article explores the complex intersections of trauma, vulnerability, multilingualism, and ethics in refugee settings. Drawing on the author's personal experiences as a refugee academic and years of research in refugee English language education and noneducation contexts, it employs an autoethnographic approach to critically examine ethical challenges in researching vulnerable populations. The study reflects on power dynamics, positionality, and the risks of re‐traumatisation in research practices while arguing for a trauma‐informed approach to both research and pedagogy. Based on empirical work in multiple countries and refugee contexts, the author engages in self‐critical reflections on his and other researchers' ethical practices. The paper argues that the starting point for trauma‐informed pedagogy is trauma‐informed research and demonstrates how translanguaging spaces—where learners' full linguistic repertoires are valued—can create safe and empowering learning environments. The article concludes with a set of recommendations for language teachers and researchers to promote ethical engagement and trauma‐informed practice in refugee settings.