“We know the same languages and then we can mix them” : A child’s perspectives on everyday translanguaging in the family

• Our study presents a young multilingual child, here called Laura, and her perspectives on and experiences of everyday language practices using Hungarian, Finnish, and Swedish. Laura was interviewed and observed over the course of one full day in the home with her family, in order to elicit her views on her agency and linguistic repertoire. In addition, Laura’s parents were interviewed about planned and implemented family language policies, and some of the written observations and audio-recorded interactions collected by the parents since Laura’s birth were considered. The thematic analysis reveals Laura’s perspectives on people, spaces and purpose in relation to her flexible use of named and unnamed languages. Laura is keenly aware of translanguaging affordances based on interlocutor, drawing on the resources of others’ repertoires. Laura sometimes challenges her parents’ family policy but also creates her own spaces for translanguaging. Finally, Laura adapts the use of her resources according to perceived purpose, as seen in her changing language use since starting school. The study offers a unique view of how one child exercises agency, makes use of her linguistic repertoire, articulates metalinguistic awareness, and respects or resists the family language policy set forth by her parents, thus creating her own everyday translanguaging practices.

Subject headings

HUMANIORA  -- Språk och litteratur -- Jämförande språkvetenskap och allmän lingvistik (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Languages and Literature -- General Language Studies and Linguistics (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

translanguaging

family language policy (FLP)

multilingual children

linguistic identity

linguistic repertoire

translanguaging spaces

Utbildning och lärande

Education and Learning

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kap (subject category)