Plurilingual repertoires and identity constructions in transit states of the Arabian Gulf: A language portrait study with young people in a Turkish school

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Published: Jun 30, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14744/felt.2023.5.1.5
Keywords:
Identity Pluriligual repertoires Language portraits Migration

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Mehmet Akif Ince
Ankara University
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6018-8442
Gabriela Meier
University of Exeter
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3899-6793

Abstract

This study focuses on the role of plurilingual repertoires in the construction of identities among adolescents in the Arabian Gulf region. The region attracts numerous migrant workers, each contributing to the linguistic diversity of a largely multilingual yet under-researched population. We analyzed visual data - specifically language portraits (LPs) - and interview responses from twelve adolescents attending a Turkish school in this region. This school was chosen for two reasons: firstly, its plurilingual environment was representative of the diverse linguistic interactions we aimed to study, and secondly, the school offered convenient access to the study group as the first author was working there as a teacher. Our analysis contributes to the understanding of the complex and dynamic interplay between plurilingual repertoires and identity constructions. A thematic and metaphorical analysis of LPs reveals how the young participants navigated their identities amidst intricate relationships among social, territorial, imagined, and symbolic affiliations. These connections notably shape the dynamics of transit societies, particularly in settings where English is the common language.

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How to Cite
Ince, M. A., & Meier, G. (2023). Plurilingual repertoires and identity constructions in transit states of the Arabian Gulf: A language portrait study with young people in a Turkish school. Focus on ELT Journal, 5(1), 74–97. https://doi.org/10.14744/felt.2023.5.1.5
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Vol. 5 No. 1 (2023): Focus on ELT Journal
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Articles
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies

Mehmet Akif Ince, Ankara University

Mehmet Akif İNCE is a PhD student in Philosophical, Social and Historical Foundations of Education at Ankara University. He gained his master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at the University of Exeter. As a junior researcher, he is interested in the philosophical, social, and historical aspects of education.

Gabriela Meier, University of Exeter

Gabriela Meier (PhD in European Studies) is a Senior Lecturer in Language Education at the University of Exeter, UK. Her academic work is at the cross-roads between language education, sociology, social psychology and politics. Recent publications include books on Languages and Social Cohesion (Meier & Smala 2022), “The Multilingual Turn in Languages Education” (Conteh & Meier, 2014), and articles on Multilingual Socialisation in Education (Meier & Wood, 2021, Meier 2018). Her research interests have been inspired by her own migratory, linguistic and academic biography and experiences, having studied, worked and lived in the German and French parts of Switzerland, in Spain, and the UK.

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