How do multilingual children, adolescents and adults use the languages that they know? What is the relationship between various languages and identities? How can appropriate communication be ensured in workplaces, schools and the health services?
MultiLing explores how multilingual children, adolescents and adults apply the languages that they know and how multilingual practice changes throughout the lifespan.
Key research issues include how people are:
- socialized into using different languages in different arenas throughout their lifespan.
- using their multilingual repertoire in various types of interaction, from face-to-face communication to social media.
- presenting themselves and are being perceived by others through their (multi)linguistic practice.
A key research topic includes interaction strategies linked to communication between parties that are different in terms of language mastery and cultural affiliation in arenas such as:
- In the family, at school and in other learning arenas, as well as in informal communication in their leisure time.
- Multilingual workplaces and public services, especially in the health services .
- Care institutions in which the elderly people themselves or the care providers are multilingual.
Researchers
Core group
- Jannis Androutsopoulos
- Aneta Pavlenko
- Jan Svennevig
- Bente Ailin Svendsen
Postdoctoral research fellows
- Samantha Goodchild