Multilingual repertoires and identity in social media: Syrian refugees on Facebook

Abstract

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions: This study explores the linguistic resources used on Facebook (FB) by six resettled Syrian refugees in the United Kingdom. It investigates the multilingual varieties and scripts employed, their discursive functions and their role in the construction of identity/ies. Design/methodology/approach: The study employs descriptive linguistic and discourse-centred online ethnographic approaches. These are complemented with insights from interviews with the informants. Data and analysis: The data set consists of 2,036 FB posts. Multilingual posts were subjected to a two-stage analysis: the first identified the affordances of new technologies for Arabic/English bilinguals – describing the function of different languages and scripts. The second stage employed a thematic analysis to frame a subsequent investigation of the stances taken by posters to construct identities and boundaries between themselves and others. Findings/conclusions: The study reveals how FB supports the construction and negotiation of multidimensional, complex personae, particularly in countering mainstream/media representations. It is a platform on which posters are able to display bilingual creativity. Originality: This article demonstrates the affordances of social media (SM) for newly settled Syrian refugees engaging in transnational networks. It identifies, as yet, unreported bilingual creativity in varieties of Arabic and English, particularly the use of a previously unidentified script, Englarabic. It ties this analysis to the study of identity performance and negotiation, and reveals the contested status of those now living in a new nation. Significance/implications: The study reveals how Syrian refugees employ complex linguistic repertoires in computer-mediated communication (CMC). We argue that SM platforms afford a creative, ideological space for bilingual refugees, as they negotiate their multiple identities online following resettlement. The study identifies linguistic innovation, particularly in the use of code-switching and Englarabic. It has implications for all those researching multilingual CMC creativity and identity, as well as those involved in understanding, planning for, and experiencing refugee (re)settlement.