Negotiating identities through multilingual writing: Local school policy that opens up spaces for students’ diverse languages

Abstract

Abstract This article draws on the case of the writing of one boy in grade four and five, to examine multilingual school policy in the classroom, in the form of attitudes and practices, which support students’ identities by affirming their diverse languages and offering spaces for identity negotiation. The case of Jirka negotiating different identities through the writing process, shows the resources that students’ diverse backgrounds constitute, particularly the multilingual resources they bring to school. It is argued that teachers can actively choose to challenge coercive power relations by supporting students’ diversity through the inclusion of diverse language resources, which is particularly important for students who are at risk of being exposed to marginalization or stigmatization. By investing in writing about their identities Jirka and his classmates engaged in developing their minds, in collaboration with peers and teachers, in classrooms that were open for students’ experiences, including their diverse linguistic repertoires.