Languages and identity constructions in multilingual students’ digital literacy practices

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate multilingual students’ identity constructions in their participation in different digital literacy practices. Theoretically, we depart from a translanguaging perspective and a social understanding of literacy from the field of New Literacy Studies. The data was constructed through qualitative interviews with eleven multilingual students in Sweden, and analysed through positioning analysis. The results show that the students use their multilingual repertoires in a variety of digital contexts for entertainment, learning, and socialising purposes. From the positioning analysis, three recurring themes emerged: positionings in relation to i. their heritage, ii. notions of ‘Swedishness”, and iii. transcultural identities. However, there is a range of variations in students’ approaches to their linguistic repertoires, which is further discussed in terms of identity constructions, as well as what teachers in monolingual schools settings can learn from the students’ everyday digital literacy practices and identity processes.

Keywords

• Digital literacy practices
• translanguaging
• identity
• positioning analysis
• interview study