Digital Infrastructure and Linguistic Repertoire Development among English Language Teacher Trainees: Evidence from a Ugandan University

ABSTRACT This study explored the impact of digital infrastructure on the linguistic repertoires of English language teacher trainees at Kyambogo University in Uganda. While significant research has been conducted on digital access and connectivity in higher education within the Global South, the specific relationship between infrastructure and language development has not been adequately theorized or empirically investigated. The research incorporated data from a survey of 150 teacher trainees and semi-structured interviews with 10 English language teaching lecturers, employing a convergent mixed-methods design. The quantitative analysis revealed that access to computer laboratories was a significant predictor of linguistic repertoire development (β = 0.357, p < 0.001), while internet accessibility alone did not show a significant effect (β = 0.037, p = 0.578). The regression model accounted for 64.3% of the variance in linguistic repertoires (R² = 0.643, adjusted R² = 0.634). Qualitative data provided insight into these statistical results, indicating that structured, supervised, and shared access in laboratory environments offered greater contributions to language development than mere internet connectivity. Lecturers characterized laboratories as conducive environments for instructor oversight, equitable access, distraction management, and observable translanguaging practices, advantages unattainable through individual connectivity. These results challenge the assumption that connectivity is the primary concern in digital education infrastructure. This study enhances sociocultural theories, communities of practice, and translanguaging frameworks by illustrating that infrastructure bolsters linguistic repertoires when it is organized, equitable, and pedagogically managed. The findings suggest important implications for teacher education in multilingual African contexts, advocating for investments in structured access points that may provide greater benefits for language development compared to connectivity alone.