Multilingual Adolescents Research Articles

“You have to start with what they know:” Cultivating genius and joy with multilingual adolescents

AbstractA historically responsive literacy (HRL) approach (Muhammad, 2020a, 2020b) fosters literary pursuits in learners, preparing them to transcend skill development and use literacy to shape a more just and compassionate world. Despite its transformative potential, not enough is known about HRL application with multilinguals, especially in secondary literacy settings. This study uses the HRL framework to explore the cases of six teachers and how they cultivate genius with their multilingual students. I analyze participant narratives and teaching examples from their bilingual settings, focusing on pedagogies of translanguaging and Transliteracy. Findings show how teachers centered students' strengths in language and literacy and this supported the development of skills and identity. Cultivating genius in students amplified joy for students and teachers. For equitable literacy instruction of multilinguals, teacher development must support pedagogy that builds on multilinguals' assets and engages multiple literary pursuits.

Learning and Well-Being in Multilingual Adolescents with Italian as L2: A Comparison with Monolingual Peers with and without a Learning Disorder

The current exploratory study aimed to offer a description of the learning skills and well-being of multilingual adolescents with Italian as L2, a population regarded as vulnerable with respect to their academic achievements and psychosocial profile. We compared the performance of L2 participants with that of their monolingual peers with and without Specific Learning Disorders on a range of tests and questionnaires to define their learning skills and well-being within the school context. Results confirm greater reading difficulties in the L2 group compared to monolingual peers with Specific Learning Disorders. This pilot study offers one of the first investigations into the learning skills and well-being of a scarcely studied population, namely L2 adolescents. Additionally, it discusses practices that can be implemented within the classroom to promote inclusion.

Building a City in the Sky

The conceptualization of multiliteracies initiated by the New London Group (NLG, 1996) emphasized the situated nature of language use as a socially complex network of multimodal engagement. Inspired by this view of language and literacy, computer-assisted language learning and second language acquisition scholars have advocated for a broader scope of second language learning to include the development of multiliteracies (Reinhardt & Thorne, 2019; Warner & Dupuy, 2018). In this conceptual article, we explore the potential affordances of immersive virtual reality (IVR) for the development of multiliteracies. As we attempt to construct a working theory of IVR as a catalyst for understanding and creating multiple forms of language in use, we draw on existing literature as well as on data from our multi-year study of multilingual adolescents engaging in multimodal activities using the Meta Quest headset. The interactions between adolescents and researchers were designed to maximize key IVR affordances (embodied cognition, presence, agency, and contextualization), and examples from the IVR sessions suggest how the adolescents are developing multiliteracies. We conclude with ideas for future research that focus on empowering L2 learners to express themselves as they develop the necessary knowledge and skills to engage in multimodal literacies.

Perceptions from Newcomer Multilingual Adolescents: Predictors and Experiences of Sense of Belonging in High School.

Recently arriving to US schools, 405 immigrant adolescents in a large, urban high school shared backgrounds and perspectives on what variables and sociocultural factors contributed to their sense of belonging in their new school. This study occurred in 2019-2020 and examined belonging during a xenophobic socio-political climate. This study examines what predictors and experiences, if any, contributed to belonging for a large population of multilingual, newcomer youth. This research extends the body of literature to include a large, linguistically and culturally diverse, adolescent newcomer population to test hypotheses that gender, GPA, grade level, employment status, relationships, and family factors impact belonging. In this descriptive, single-site case study of newcomers enrolled in an International Academy (IA), semi-structured online interviews (N = 14) and a survey (N = 391) were utilized. Anchored with Goodenow's belonging definition and scale, quantitative data analysis included regression analysis to reveal three demographic belonging predictors. Qualitative data analysis leveraged emergent coding of newcomer comments to surface five belonging contributing factors. Results indicated that females had higher sense of belonging scores, while students of smaller language groups and students paying rent had statistically significantly lower scores. Additionally, five sociocultural school factors emerged that contributed to belonging: support networks, language, participation opportunities, safety, and recognition. Conclusions resulted for improving secondary school structures, practices, and climate to cultivate belonging for newcomers. Directly from students, this study presents educators with opportunities to ensure newcomers feel included, accepted, and valued through peer support networks, post-secondary preparation, and linguistic, emotional, and physical safety.

Approaching the Concept of Multiliteracies: Multilingual Writing Competence as an Integrated Model

In linguistically diverse contexts, language repertoires include various literacy skills in multiple languages across different modes of representation (multiliteracies), where multilingual writing can be conceptualized as a synthesized competence that includes all languages in a person’s repertoire and is continuously evolving. We respond to the call to operationalize existing theory on multilingual writing for empirical testing by conducting first- and second-order confirmatory factor analyses that explore whether and how students’ writing proficiency in different languages can be modelled as an integrated construct, to analyze multilingual writing’s dimensionality. We draw on a corpus of multilingual writing in secondary students (n = 965) in three different languages: the majority language (German), the heritage languages of migrants in Germany (Russian or Turkish), and the first foreign language (English). Based on competence data of a substantial sample of multilingual adolescents, the results provide an empirical approach to modelling multilingual writing competence in complex multilingual repertoires.

Think Like a Linguist: Leveraging Multilingual Students’ Expertise about Language

AbstractIn this article, we focus on a series of lessons, called Think Like a Linguist, that we designed and implemented with multilingual adolescents. These lessons were developed as an introduction to a semester‐long study on academic vocabulary and word analysis using Latin roots. Our intention in Think Like a Linguist lessons was to present concepts about language patterns and relationships by leveraging students’ diverse language backgrounds. Transcripts of lessons from one middle school class and two high school classes were inductively coded and thematically analyzed. Three main findings about students’ participation and learning are presented. First, students engaged in hypothesis‐checking and flexible thinking about language. Second, students collectively leveraged all the languages they knew for analysis. Third, lessons created the conditions for students to reflect on relations between language and power. In addition to these findings, we present major concepts introduced, examples of instructional tasks, and resources for instruction.

The Love and Science of Reading: A Promising Instructional Approach for Adolescent Multilingual Learners

Purpose:Adolescent multilingual learners are at high risk for reading difficulties as evidenced by persistent achievement gaps. This article calls for a paradigm shift and aims to elucidate what constitutes promising second-language literacy instruction for multilingual adolescents, comprising effective literacy practices grounded in research, combined with an emphasis on individual learners and their sociocultural development. Cast in ecological systems and functionalist perspectives, this article provides a model for language and literacy instruction that is grounded in basic tenets of reading science within a sociocultural context. We outline strategies that focus on language as a basis for reading development followed by examples of authentic learning experiences designed to motivate students and nurture their love of reading.Conclusions:A solution to existing achievement gaps may be a promising approach that emphasizes both the science and love of reading, which entails targeted instruction rooted in the research evidence integrated into engaging and meaningful learning experiences, central to which is the acknowledgement of multilingual learners as individuals. The authors call for an intentional focus on accelerating the development of language through frequent use of and a genuine love for both the science of reading and the science of teaching reading.

Exploring multiliteracies in multilingual students: Profiles of multilingual writing skills

ABSTRACT This study investigated students’ multilingual writing skills in three different languages: the majority language (German), heritage languages (Russian or Turkish), and a foreign language (English). The aim was to empirically explore the Focus on Multilingualism Approach, tracing different profiles of the multiliteracies that exist in multilingual adolescents. Latent class analysis was applied to explore the multiliteracy profiles of 805 German-Russian and German- Turkish bilinguals. Our findings reveal the positive interrelation of writing skills within multiliteracy profiles, which drives the development of literacy skills in each of the languages in the same direction. The results of our study highlight the potential of multiliteracies to provide resources for multilingual language learning within the context of migration.

Morphological analysis skill and academic vocabulary knowledge are malleable through intervention and may contribute to reading comprehension for multilingual adolescents

BackgroundMorphological analysis skill is the ability to problem‐solve meanings of unfamiliar words by applying knowledge of morphological constituents. For vocabulary words from the academic layer of English, the major, meaning‐carrying morphological contituents are Latin roots (nov meaning ‘new’ in innovative). The degree to which morphological analysis skill using Latin roots is susceptible to intervention and whether improvements relate to reading comprehension remains unclear.MethodsWe investigated the effects of a morphology intervention designed to promote academic vocabulary learning, morphological analysis and reading comprehension with 140 adolescent, multilingual learners in US schools (intervention n = 70; comparison n = 70). We estimated direct effects of the intervention on morphological analysis and academic vocabulary knowledge and examined whether they mediate intervention effects on reading comprehension. Academic vocabulary was measured as both definitional and multidimensional knowledge.ResultsWe found significant, direct effects of the intervention on morphological analysis skill and academic vocabulary knowledge. Additionally, we found a significant indirect effect on reading comprehension via academic vocabulary and a marginally significant indirect effect via morphological analysis skill. Notably, the indirect effect of academic vocabulary was evident only for multidimensional, not definitional knowledge.ConclusionsFindings extend current understanding about how morphology intervention promotes vocabulary and reading comprehension improvement for multilingual learners.(word count = 207)

Teasing and policing in a multilingual family — Negotiating and subverting norms and social hierarchies

This paper demonstrates how multilingual adolescents initiate language-directed teasing in family interaction and thus contribute to reinforcing or challenging social hierarchies and norms in the family. It investigates the case of a multilingual family living in Northern Norway (two parents and five children ranging from 3 to 18 years old). To a varying extent, and with varying degrees of competence, all family members use three languages in their daily lives: English, Spanish, and Norwegian. The data consists of self-recorded material of family interactions (9 h; 549 min) that were collected over the course of one year. A close interactional analysis shows how the siblings target linguistic production in teasing attacks, and use language-directed teasing as an interactional resource to position themselves and their family members. Drawing on Billig's (2005) theory of disciplinary humor, the article argues that playful corrections of perceived norm transgressions may be understood as situated (re)production and negotiation of social and linguistic norms, through which the young family members participate in the construction of the family as a community of practice.

Berehalako mezularitzan erabilitako hizkuntza: ezaugarriak eta erabiltzaileen pertzepzioak

Con el desarrollo de la tecnología han emergido nuevas vías y nuevas maneras de comunicación y eso influye directamente en el uso del lenguaje. Entre las nuevas vías de comunicación que han surgido se encuentra la mensajería instantánea. En este artículo se analizan cuestiones relacionadas con el uso del lenguaje que hacen los adolescentes multilingües de un contexto sociolingüístico vascohablante en la comunicación por medio de mensajería instantánea.Por una parte, se analizan las características del lenguaje escrito utilizado en un contexto informal. Y por otra parte, se hace un análisis cualitativo de las percepciones que tienen los usuarios con respecto a ello. Al poner el foco en el euskara, el presente artículo intenta hacer una aportación que enriquezca la investigación que se está llevando a cabo sobre este tema a nivel internacional.

Translation Plays: La Malinche y otros intérpretes

From the well-spoken Malinche, who translates Hernán Cortés’ semi-intelligible gibberish for a Spanish-speaking audience in Sabina Berman’s Águila o sol (1984), to the multilingual adolescents mediating between parents and host country in plays about immigration and exile, as in Roberto Cossa’s Gris de ausencia (1981), the translator is a frequent figure on the Latin American stage. Griselda Gambaro’s Es necesario entender un poco (1995) and Víctor Hugo Rascón Banda’s La mujer que cayó del cielo (1999) present complex representations of translation, showing it to be, at times, empowering and, at other times, limiting. Analyzing the above plays, this article considers why translation is performed in front of an audience or on the spectators’ behalf and how it may serve either to include or to exclude spectators or characters in the action of a given scene as well as highlight and question many of the constitutive elements of theatre. Interpretation ultimately ties translation and theatre together, as a translation is always an interpretation, just as interpretation is always part of theatre.

Translanguaging in mainstream education: a sociocultural approach

ABSTRACTDue to the monolingual self-understanding of European nation-states, migration-induced multilingualism and the language mixing practices it triggers are not usually acknowledged as resources for learning within mainstream classrooms. The term translanguaging has recently been put forward as both a way of describing the flexible ways in which bilinguals draw upon their multiple languages to enhance their communicative potential and a pedagogical approach in which teachers and pupils use these practices for learning. However, little research has been conducted in how the translanguaging approach can be used in mainstream education to enhance knowledge. This study draws on videographic data recorded in 59 10th grade (15-year-olds) subject-matter classes in 4 secondary schools. Applying sociocultural discourse analysis to peer–peer interaction and therefore considering how learners scaffold one another as they participate in collaborative talk and in the co-construction of knowledge, results describe several functions of translanguaging for ‘exploratory talk’ leading to content-matter learning. Multilingual adolescents in naturalistic settings thus use their multilingualism to cognitively engage with content-based tasks and produce high-order speech acts embedded in complex talk.

Metalinguistic awareness and academic achievement in a linguistically diverse school setting: a study of lower secondary pupils in Denmark

This study focuses on metalinguistic awareness (MLA) and its relation to academic achievement for mono-, bi- and multilingual adolescents in Denmark. While MLA is one of several cognitive measures positively related to bilingualism and bilingualism is associated with academic advantages, Danish bi-/multilingual pupils appear not to benefit from their knowledge of more languages as they lag behind their monolingual school peers. Therefore, this study aims to depict the distribution of MLA between different linguistic groups in a Danish school context and to determine whether there is a correlation between MLA and academic achievement. Additionally, the relationship between socioeconomic status and test results is investigated. Participants are categorised according to the languages they report using actively. 219 pupils aged 14–16, 106 monolingual and 113 bi-/multilingual, completed a questionnaire and a test of MLA, both in Danish. School leaving exam results and a measure of socioeconomic status were also obtained. While results show no distinct bi-/multilingual advantage on the test of MLA, a strong correlation between school leaving exam results and MLA is found. Furthermore, Danish proficiency and socioeconomic status accounts for some of the variation in test results, thus moderating test performance differences found between groups.

Language and youth identity in a multilingual setting: A multimodal repertoire approach

This article is based on a study of a community of multilingual adolescents in Johannesburg which examines participants’ linguistic repertoires and how they use their linguistic resources as a basis for identity construction, integration and performance. This kind of linguistic multiplicity lends itself to subtle and occasionally subversive positioning, as well as the creation of complex identities. Multilingual speakers call into play different aspects of their linguistic identity according to what particular circumstances dictate. For the most part, learners use their repertoires, which in some cases include non-standardised, mixed forms such as Tsotsitaal, to integrate and negotiate; and they are open to learning and accommodating other languages, with perhaps (in this data-set) one exception, namely Xitsonga. The implications of these findings are discussed with regard to language use in educational settings.

Translanguaging and multilingual literacies: diary-based case studies of adolescents in an international school

A diary is often a personal and private matter, a well-kept secret. This article discusses findings from ethnographic research in which language diaries and diary-based interviews were used as a means to collect qualitative data. The article is based on case studies of six high school students who at the time of the study were enrolled at an international boarding school in Sweden. During the interviews, the students spoke about personal matters associated with languages, identities and discriminatory practices in school and in society. The aim of the paper is twofold: (1) to investigate and describe the students' language practices, their translanguaging practices and their multilingual literacies, and (2) to analyze diary-based case studies – based on language diaries and diary-based interviews – from a methodological viewpoint as a means to collect data. The study wishes to contribute to the growing body of ethnographic research on literacy that highlights and nuances the intricate ways in which languages are being used by bilingual and/or multilingual adolescents in their everyday lives in a globalized world. The diaries together with the diary-based interviews reveal significant findings about multilingualism both on a micro and macro level. On a micro level these findings relate to, for instance, the use of translanguaging that forms part of the students' multilingual repertoires and the construction of identities in a transnational space such as the school. On a macro level, the findings relate to, for instance, language ideologies, language policies and teaching and learning in a transnational space. The results of the study have implications for language policies and teaching practices in schools with bilingual/multilingual students. The study shows how the students' language practices differ from that of the school. Furthermore the study contributes to the methodological advancement of ethnographic research methods and shows how the use of language diaries can enable the production of self-reflection based on students' language practices.

Multilingual writing in an age of accountability: From policy to practice in U.S. high school classrooms

This article considers the influence of the U.S. accountability- and standards-driven context on the writing experiences of multilingual writers in “New Mainstream” linguistically diverse high school classrooms. Qualitative data from 12 ninth grade subject-matter classes were examined to note how uses of writing in subject-matter classrooms reflected or contradicted district standards and accountability efforts, and how these practices socialized multilingual learners into particular norms for academic writing in English. Findings suggest that classroom practices related to the current standards and accountability climate were socializing adolescent multilingual writers into narrow restrictive norms for academic writing, with the most restrictive norms occurring in the classes with the greatest enrollment of multilingual writers. This study highlights the influence of macro-level contextual factors on particular classroom-level writing practices and norms, and suggests the need for theories of second language writing that account for these influences, particularly in studies of multilingual adolescents in mainstream classrooms.