MONOGRÁFICO Le ine, R.
Re is a Fuen es, 15, Junio, 2014, pp. 93-112 93
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“SIEMPRE HA ESTADO ATRAPADO EN MI INTERIOR PERO AHORA
HA SALIDO”: EXPLORACIONES DE LAS IDENTIDADES
LINGÜÍSTICAS DE LOS NIÑOS A TRAVÉS DE ACTIVIDADES
CREATIVAS.
‘IT'S ALWAYS BEEN STUCK INSIDE ME BUT NOW IT'S COME OUT’:
CHILDREN’S EXPLORATIONS OF THEIR LANGUAGE IDENTITIES THROUGH
CREATIVE ACTIVITIES
Ru h Le ine
Lec u e in Educa ion
Li e pool Hope Uni e si y
Fecha de ecepción: 12 de junio de 2013
Fecha de acep ación: 29 de junio de 2014
Fecha de publicación: 30 de junio de 2014
RESUMEN
¿Qué signi ica pa a los niños se usua ios de di e en es lenguas? Una se ie de
ac i idades e lexi as y c ea i as se han desa ollado en un es udio doc o al ecien e
sob e las iden idades lingüís icas de los niños, pa a ayuda les a explo a y a icula sus
iden idades como hablan es de dis in as lenguas. Los análisis de au o- ep esen aciones
explíci as de los niños en es as ac i idades es ablecie on que los indi iduos cons uyen,
ep esen an y negocian las iden idades lingüís icas que pueden se múl iples,
cambian es y a eces es a en ensión o con adicción. Po o a pa e, las ac i idades
u ilizadas pa a la ecolección de da os p opo cionan un espacio en el que los niños
explo an el uso de las lenguas den o de sus di e en es comunidades y así ap enden a
negocia sus múl iples y cambian es iden idades lingüís icas con mayo comp ensión y
con ianza.
Palab as cla e: Lenguaje; Iden idad; Plu ilingüismo; Bilingüismo; Me odología de
In es igación; Ac i idades de clase.
ABSTRACT
Wha does i mean o child en o be use s o di e en languages? A se ies o e lec i e
and c ea i e ac i i ies we e de eloped in a ecen doc o al s udy o child en’s
language iden i ies, o suppo child en o explo e and a icula e hei iden i ies as use s
o di e en languages. Analysis o he child en’s explici sel - ep esen a ions in hese
ac i i ies es ablished ha indi iduals cons uc , ep esen and nego ia e language
iden i ies which may be mul iple, shi ing and some imes in ension o con adic ion.
Fu he mo e, he ac i i ies used o da a collec ion p o ide a na iga ional space in
which child en explo e hei use o languages wi hin hei di e en communi ies and so
lea n o nego ia e hei mul iple and shi ing language iden i ies wi h g ea e
unde s anding and con idence.
Key wo ds: Language; Iden i y; Plu ilingualism; Bilingualism; Resea ch Me hodology;
Class oom ac i i ies.
“Siemp e ha es ado a apado en mi in e io pe o aho a ha salido”: explo aciones de
las iden idades lingüís icas de los niños a a és de ac i idades c ea i as.
94 Re is a Fuen es, 15, Junio, 2014, pp. 93-112
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1. OBJECTIVES
In he ea ly 21s cen u y, a ime o apid social change and
inc easing cul u al di e si y in much o Eu ope, ques ions o social
iden i y a e a he o e in schools as in he wide socie y. The inc easing
he e ogenei y o many communi ies in Eu ope is e lec ed in he
g owing numbe o languages spoken wi hin hese communi ies. In
England mo e han 196 languages a e now spoken ou side London
(e.g. Vidal Rodei o, 2009). Schools in England e lec and a e pa o
hese social changes, and he inc easing di e si y is appa en in he
inc easing numbe o languages spoken by membe s o school
communi ies. This has implica ions o he ways child en unde s and
and ep esen hemsel es and hei place in school, in hei local
communi y and in he wo ld. In ligh o he close ela ionship be ween
indi iduals' language(s), iden i ies and lea ning, a ecen doc o al
s udy (Le ine, 2013) examined he ways a small sample o p ima y
school child en iden i ied hemsel es as use s o hei di e en
languages in linguis ically di e se classes.
In his pape , he e m 'language iden i y' e e s o he claimed
and/o asc ibed ela ionships be ween indi iduals and hei
language(s). This d aws on Block's (2006: 35) de ini ion o language
iden i y as ' he assumed and/o a ibu ed ela ionship be ween onesel
and a means o communica ion which migh be known as a language
(e.g. English), a dialec (e.g. Geo die) o a sociolec (e.g. oo ball-
speak)'. This de ini ion, howe e , keeps he ocus on languages a he
han language a ie ies, and lea es open he possibili y ha indi iduals
may iden i y hemsel es as plu i- o mul ilinguals in addi ion o use s o
pa icula languages.
The o e a ching aim o he esea ch was de elop a de ailed
unde s anding o he ways nine child en in wo linguis ically di e se
p ima y schools in he UK explici ly iden i ied hemsel es as use s o hei
di e en languages and how hey ep esen ed and nego ia ed hei
language iden i ies in in e ac ions in he o eign language class oom.
The indings we e d awn oge he in a p elimina y model o child en’s
language iden i y (Le ine, 2013). The objec i e o an ea ly analysis in he
la ge s udy was o es ablish whe he child en’s explici ep esen a ions o
hei language iden i ies could be meaning ully esea ched om a
pos s uc u alis pe spec i e. This is he ocus o his pape . As
pos s uc u alis hinking alues agmen a ion, luidi y, con adic ion and
con ex , i is i ing ha he e should be no ixed, consis en and uni a y
pos s uc u alis concep ualisa ion o iden i y (Block, 2007b).
Pos s uc u alis esea ch in o iden i y a ies in he deg ee o emphasis on
he ways indi iduals' iden i ies a e shaped by hei biog aphies, and
MONOGRÁFICO Le ine, R.
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deeply si ua ed in hei social, cul u al and his o ical con ex s; on he
ways indi iduals posi ion hemsel es and a e posi ioned by o he s in
social in e ac ions and in ela ion o pas and p esen expe iences and o
hopes, expec a ions and ea s o he u u e. Recognising ha social
s uc u es, o en ela ing o demog aphic ca ego ies such as age,
gende , e hnici y and ace, cons ain he ways indi iduals iden i y
hemsel es, some pos s uc u alis esea ch ocuses on unequal powe
ela ions while o he s udies examine indi iduals’ demons a ions o
agency in ongoing, sel -conscious ac s o sel -iden i ica ion (e.g. Block,
2007a and b; No on and Toohey, 2011). Howe e , Weedon's
ounda ional w i ing (1987) none heless es ablished ce ain b oad
p inciples: pos s uc u alis s concep ualise iden i y no as he essen ial,
s able co e o he sel bu as 1) mul iple; 2) shi ing o e his o ical ime
and social space; and 3) a si e o s uggle as indi iduals w es le wi h
ensions and con adic ions. This s udy akes hese h ee undamen al
p inciples as i s de ini ion o a pos s uc u alis app oach o iden i y.
The e has been ex ensi e pos s uc u alis esea ch in e es in he
subjec posi ions ha indi iduals ake up in ela ion o he well-
ecognised iden i y ca ego ies o gende , social class, ace, e hnici y
and na ional iden i y, and sexual o ien a ion. Language iden i y is much
less well known as a social iden i y, and he e is a dea h o s udies in o
language iden i y. I was an icipa ed ha aking a pos s uc u alis
pe spec i e on child en’s language iden i ies would p o ide he da a
needed o build a de ailed unde s anding o he child en’s language
iden i ies. A he beginning o he s udy, hough, i was no clea whe he
p ima y school child en would iden i y hemsel es in ela ion o hei
languages in mul iple and shi ing ways, o whe he hei languages
iden i ies would be a si e o s uggle. This pape epo s on ea ly indings
in he s udy ha demons a e ha child en’s explici ep esen a ions o
hei language iden i ies can be meaning ully esea ched om a
pos s uc u alis pe spec i e.
2. METHODOLOGY
The objec i e o es ablishing whe he child en’s explici
ep esen a ions language iden i ies could be meaning ully esea ched
om a pos s uc u alis pe spec i e had implica ions o he esea ch
me hodology: a he han looking o unco e he child en's ' eal'
language iden i ies, he s udy se ou o explo e how he child en
ep esen ed and nego ia ed hei subjec posi ions as use s o
languages, whe he hese sel - ep esen a ions shi ed o e ime and
social space, and whe he child en exp essed ensions o
con adic ions in ela ion o hei languages.
“Siemp e ha es ado a apado en mi in e io pe o aho a ha salido”: explo aciones de
las iden idades lingüís icas de los niños a a és de ac i idades c ea i as.
96 Re is a Fuen es, 15, Junio, 2014, pp. 93-112
I.S.S.N.: 1575-7072
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Es ablishing whe he child en's explici ep esen a ions o hei
language iden i ies can be meaning ully esea ched om a
pos s uc u alis pe spec i e equi ed a nuanced, quali a i e app oach
because i was an icipa ed ha he in e es o he s udy may lie in he
complex in e play be ween he child en’s language iden i ies as hey
hold mul iple iden i ies oge he and some imes in ension, and as
di e en dimensions o hei iden i ies a e some imes salien and
o eg ounded and some imes hidden o e en denied. To 'a e age ou '
he di e ences (Do nyei, 2007) h ough quan i a i e enqui y would ha e
masked he e y di e en ways he child en pe cei ed and posi ioned
hemsel es in ela ion o each o hei languages, and in o he ways hei
language iden i ies shi ed ac oss ime and social space.
The esea ch was designed as a mul iple case s udy (S ake, 1995)
o suppo an in-dep h examina ion o he ways he child en iden i ied
hemsel es as use s o di e en languages o e he cou se o he school
yea . In line wi h Van Lie (2005) and Do nyei (2007), who asse ha case
s udies can p o ide unpa alleled insigh in o shi s o e ime in complex
phenomena, he con inui ies and con adic ions, changes and
de elopmen s in he ways he child en iden i ied hemsel es a di e en
poin s in he school yea we e o compelling in e es in his s udy.
Pa icipan s we e selec ed o 'po en ial o lea ning' (S ake, 1998)
no ep esen a i eness. Nine child en (aged en and ele en yea s) we e
selec ed om wo p ima y schools in a ci y in Sou h Eas England. The
child en came wi h a wide ange o home language p o iles: hey spoke
di e en languages; hey had been esiden in he UK o di e en
leng hs o ime; h ee o he child en used ai h languages. The ele an
de ails abou he child en’s languages a e summa ised in he able
below:
Child’s
name
Languages
spoken in he
home
Whe e li ed
O he
languages
used
Languages lea n in
lessons
Ambe
English ( a he ’s
i s language)
Ge man
(mo he ’s i s
language)
UK
F ench in school
Used o lea n I alian in
ex acu icula club
Ha unobu
Japanese
In Japan aged
0-5; li ed in
UK since
English
F ench in school
Ka ya
Russian
UK
English
Russian in weekly
Russian school
F ench in school
MONOGRÁFICO Le ine, R.
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Child’s
name
Languages
spoken in he
home
Whe e li ed
O he
languages
used
Languages lea n in
lessons
Lizzie
English
UK
Ped o
English
Ge man
( a he ’s i s
language)
Spanish
(mo he ’s i s
language)
UK
F ench in school
Used o lea n Spanish in
ex acu icula club
Anu adha
English
U du
In Pakis an
aged 0-5 and
7-8; in UK
aged 5-7 and
8-11
F ench in school
Lea ning a li le I alian
om a he who li es in
Rome
Fadhiya
Bangla
English
UK
Sign
Language
wi h uncle
who
is dea and
A abic in
eligious
p ac ices
A abic lessons
a mosque h ee
imes a week
Bangla lessons
a mosque once
a week
F ench in school
Sign Language in
ex acu icula lessons
Used o lea n I alian in
school
Ma k
English
UK
F ench in school
La in in ex acu icula
club
Used o lea n I alian in
school
Zax
English ( a he ’s
i s language)
Polish (mo he ’s
i s language)
Bo n in UK
bu li ed in
Poland un il
aged 9 hen
mo ed o UK
Heb ew in
eligious
p ac ices
Heb ew lessons
in p epa a ion
o ba mi z ah
P i a e lessons
in Ge man
F ench in school
The names gi en a e pseudonyms chosen by he child en om he
same language as hei eal names.
The p ima y schools we e also selec ed o linguis ic di e si y o he
pupils: in each school 35-40% o he pupils spoke languages in addi ion

“Siemp e ha es ado a apado en mi in e io pe o aho a ha salido”: explo aciones de
las iden idades lingüís icas de los niños a a és de ac i idades c ea i as.
98 Re is a Fuen es, 15, Junio, 2014, pp. 93-112
I.S.S.N.: 1575-7072
e-I.S.S.N.: 2172-7775
D.O.I.: h p://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/ e is a uen es.2014.i15.05
o English, and a leas 10 languages we e spoken by pupils in each o
he ou classes in he sample. Bo h schools augh a o eign language
om Yea 3 (when he pupils a e se en yea s old).
A 'mosaic app oach' (Cla k and Moss, 2001) was aken o
ga he ing da a o he wide doc o al s udy. Se e al da a collec ion ools
we e used o build up a ounded pic u e o he ways he child en
iden i ied hemsel es as use s o languages explici ly and implici ly:
e lec i e and c ea i e ac i i ies wi h he child en; in e iews wi h hei
eache s; obse a ions o he child en in o eign language lessons; and
eco dings o he child en in in e en ion lessons. This pape ocuses on
he se ies o e lec i e and imagina i e ac i i ies which suppo ed he
child en o explo e and a icula e hei language iden i ies. These
ac i i ies we e de eloped o elici om he child en explici
ep esen a ions o hemsel es as use s o languages.
3. DATA COLLECTION
Elici ing explici ep esen a ions o hei language iden i ies om
he child en p esen ed a numbe o challenges. The child en
pa icipa ing in he esea ch we e en and ele en yea -olds and may
well ne e ha e gi en any hough o hei language iden i ies p io o
he s udy. Ques ioning hem di ec ly was unlikely o yield ich and
de ailed da a. Fu he mo e, in his g ounded s udy i was impo an ha
he ac i i ies should be non-di ec i e, engaging he child en's sel -
unde s andings and no in oducing p e-exis ing concep s om he
li e a u e.
The child en's explici sel - ep esen a ions we e elici ed h ough a
ange o ac i i ies which encou aged he child en o explo e and
a icula e wha being a speake o di e en languages mean o hem.
A i s he ac i i ies we e s aigh o wa d and ela i ely conc e e so
ha he child en could alk abou hei languages wi h con idence;
mo e abs ac and open-ended ac i i ies we e used owa ds he end
o he yea . The ac i i ies a e desc ibed below wi h quo a ions om he
child en as hey we e engaged in he ac i i ies illus a ing how he
ac i i ies enabled he child en o explo e and oice hei iden i ies as
use s o languages.
MONOGRÁFICO Le ine, R.
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Ac i i y 1. Languages mind-maps.
The i s ac i i y was a mind-map o he child en's languages. The
child en indica ed he languages hey used, whe e hey used hem
and wi h whom, and also no ed i hey knew a ew wo ds o o he
languages in a box in a co ne o he page. The child en hen
explained hei mind-maps o he esea che . In doing so, hey spoke
abou hei language biog aphies, he languages spoken in he home,
he ai h con ex s in which ce ain languages we e used, and whe e
and when he child en had s a ed lea ning hei di e en languages.
The example below p esen s Anu adha's mind-map o he languages
and he explana ion:
Pic u e 1. Example languages mind-map
Ac i i y 2. Languages lags
In he second ac i i y, he child en d ew lags o ep esen hei
languages and hen o explain hei lags o he esea che . They we e
p omp ed wi h ques ions, o example abou he size o he blocks
ep esen ing hei di e en languages and he posi ions o he
languages on he lag. The example below p esen s Ha unobu's lag
and his explana ion:
'My i s language ha was U du. I used o be e y good a
U du bu […]. now ha I' e been li ing he e o a long ime I
know less U du. […] I speak U du when I'm a home [in
Pakis an] alking wi h my amily cos all my amily keeps on
nagging a me o speak e en mo e.'
'I' e been li ing
in England o
abou h ee
yea s and I
mos ly speak
English because
a lo o people
speak English
he e.'
'Hindi is ano he
e sion o U du
so basically a
lo o wo ds in
U du a e simila
o Hindi so
basically I can
speak Hindi.'
'[I speak
F ench] in
school and wi h
my dad as well.
Since my dad
had his Mas e s
deg ee in
F ench, he
augh me a
bi .’
‘I only lea n
[Sign
Language] like
las week. I jus
don' know ha
much. I can
only do om A
o Z and I can
say a ew
wo ds.'
XXXXXXXXX
“Siemp e ha es ado a apado en mi in e io pe o aho a ha salido”: explo aciones de
las iden idades lingüís icas de los niños a a és de ac i idades c ea i as.
100 Re is a Fuen es, 15, Junio, 2014, pp. 93-112
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Pic u e 2: Example languages lag
‘I'm eally p oud abou my
Japanese. […] My pa en s and
s u a e Japanese and so his is
mos o [ he lag], bu I ha e
been in England o mos o my
li e so ha was he second
la ges and F ench I' e done jus
a bi so i 's qui e small. [...] I'm
Japanese and I li e in England
and I speak England mos o he
ime and F ench I jus lea n i . So
i goes in ha way.'
Ac i i y 3. 'Jelly baby ee'.
The child en we e gi en pic u es o a 'jelly baby ee' (see below)
and asked o iden i y igu es o ep esen hemsel es as use s o each
o hei languages and o explain hei choices. The child en we e
encou aged o look a he di e en igu es on he ee and o no e
hei posi ions and moods and ha some we e on hei own while
o he s wi h in pai s o g oups, be o e being asked o iden i y hemsel es
as use s o languages wi h pa icula igu es. Pic u e 3 indica es he
igu es Fadhiya selec ed o ep esen he sel as a use o he di e en
languages. I should be no ed ha she s opped lea ning I alian wo
yea s be o e aking pa in his ac i i y.
Pic u e 3. Example 'jelly baby ee'.
'I speak [F ench]
some imes wi h my
iends, wi h my
pa ne s in F ench.'
'Kids ha a e Muslim
he e ha e o lea n a
he mosque like we
ha e o come o
school. [...] I don'
eally speak i wi h
anyone cos A abic's
no a language I
speak wi h amily cos
i 's like, I lea n […] o
ead i .'
'I hink maybe he one a he op. […] I don' eally speak [I alian] wi h anyone.'
'I speak [Bangla] wi h
my amily. […] I eel
good when I speak i
and his one looks
happy.'
'[I'm one o ] he ones ha a e playing cos I speak [English] wi h my iends and I play wi h hem
and when I play I speak English and s u .'
‘I hink maybe
he one a he
op. […] I
don’ eally
speak [I alian]
wi h anyone.’
[I’m one o ] he
ones ha a e
playing cos I
speak English
wi h my iends
and I play wi h
hem and when
I play I speak
English and
s u .’
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Ac i i y 4: D awing ees
This nex ac i i y p o ided a means o asking p obing ques ions
abou hei pe cep ions o hemsel es as use s o di e en languages
whils s ill aking ca e no o in oduce p e-unde s andings. I was
adap ed om a echnique Oaklande (1978) de eloped in a
he apeu ic con ex . Oaklande encou aged child en wi h social and
beha iou al p oblems o d aw hemsel es as ose-bushes and o
explain hei pic u es aloud. Adap ing his, he child en we e in i ed o
imagine ha hey we e a di e en ee when hey spoke each o hei
languages and we e asked he ollowing ques ions:
'Wha so o ee a e you? How old a e you? Wha
a e you lea es like? How old is he ee? How deep do
you oo s go? Do you ge all he wa e and sunligh you
need? Whe e a e you? Is he e a ence a ound you o an
open place? Wha 's he wea he like? A e he e o he ees
a ound? Wha 's going o happen o his ee in he u u e?'
The child en hen d ew he imagined ees in u n. They explained
hei pic u es ei he while hey we e ske ching o a e wa ds. The use o
me apho in his way enabled sea ching ques ions o be posed whils
always wo king wi h child en's sel -unde s andings as he child en
in e p e ed he me apho s in ways hey conside ed meaning ul.
'I 's go p e y deep oo s because, well, I eel I' e
had lo s o oppo uni ies o ge be e a English.
[…] I 's a p e y big ee because I eel like I' e done
p e y well a lea ning English. […] And he e's lo s o
b anches because I' e b anched ou o hink o
new hings. […] Bu I don' hink i 's ully g own ye
because I' e s ill go a lo o li e o lea n abou new
hings.'
'I 's a heal hy ee because I do F ench lessons
e e y week and ha helps. I 's no he bigges ee,
bu as we' e only been doing F ench o wo yea s,
i 's g own quickly o he size i is now. I s b anches
a e sp eading bu hey ha en' sp ead e e ywhe e
ye because I ha en' lea n e e y hing. The e's s ill
a lo mo e o go. I like being his ee because I'm
like sa is ied wi h wha I' e done. I 's in a pa k
because in he class e e yone else is lea ning
F ench as well, so he e a e lo s o people, lo s o
ees he e.'
xxxxxxx
xxxxxx
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las iden idades lingüís icas de los niños a a és de ac i idades c ea i as.
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be ween he child en and he esea che . Also, shi s in he child en's
sel - ep esen a ions some imes e lec ed a deepe engagemen wi h
pa icula dimensions o hemsel es h ough he ac i i ies. This will be
discussed in he inal pa o his pape .
7. DISCUSSION: THE VALUE OF THESE ACTIVITIES IN THE CLASSROOM
Imagina i e and e lec i e ac i i ies such as hose used o da a
collec ion in his s udy can p o ide a 'na iga ional space' (Moje e al.,
2004) in which child en explo e hei use o languages wi hin hei
di e en communi ies and so lea n o nego ia e hei mul iple and
shi ing language iden i ies wi h g ea e unde s anding and
con idence. This is he ocus o his inal sec ion o he pape , which
e lec s on he child en's commen s abou hei expe iences o aking
pa in he ac i i ies used o da a collec ion in his s udy, and on he
shi s in he child en's ep esen a ions o hei language iden i ies in he
cou se o hese ac i i ies.
Th ough he ac i i ies de ailed in his pape , child en who may
ne e ha e gi en any hough o hei language iden i ies we e
suppo ed o explo e and a icula e wha being a use o di e en
languages mean o hem. I should be emphasised ha he ac i i ies
we e designed as a da a collec ion ool o elici he child en's explici
sel - ep esen a ions, no o help he child en. Whils ca e had been
aken o conduc he da a collec ion in a sensi i e and e hical way, i
was a pleasan su p ise when, du ing he deb ie a he end o he
yea , each o he child en independen ly commen ed ha he
ac i i ies had helped hem o unde s and hemsel es and hei
languages in new ways.
The child en all commen ed ha hey a ely alked abou hei
languages wi h o he people and ha hey ound i help ul o do so
h ough he ac i i ies. Ka ya desc ibed he expe ience o he ac i i ies
in e ms o ‘opening up’ a dimension o he li e which she usually kep
unexp essed:
‘You can ell someone abou i and you can ac ually jus
hink abou i you sel o a while cos i 's always been s uck inside
me bu now i 's kind come ou and I ha e a chance o hink
abou i . […]Jus kind o ha ing a ask like [ he poem] o do
abou eelings o my languages [helped me] because […] i
opened up eelings.’
Ped o and Anu adha commen ed ha hey came o a be e
unde s anding o hemsel es and hei languages be e because he

MONOGRÁFICO Le ine, R.
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ac i i ies equi ed hem o hink abou hei languages and pu his in o
wo ds. Ped o explained ha he ac i i ies had helped him unde s and
himsel be e 'because in each mee ing [he needed] o hink abou
wha o say and how [he could] exp ess [his] eelings abou he
languages.' Anu adha exp essed he new con idence in alking abou
he language iden i ies:
'E e y hing we' e done ac ually helped me lea n abou
my own languages cos be o e I me you I didn' eally know
abou mysel and my languages. […] Now I eel a bi mo e
con iden when we alk abou languages. Be o e I didn' eally
know wha o say bu now ha we' e alked abou i a lo I know
wha o say.'
The child en alued he oppo uni y o hink and alk abou
hemsel es and hei languages, and came o unde s and hemsel es
h ough he ac i i ies.
Some child en iden i ied speci ic ways in which he ac i i ies had
helped hem wi h hei language iden i ies, commen ing on new
unde s andings ela ing o hei con idence in di e en languages, and
o he social a ilia ions associa ed wi h hei languages. Ped o
commen ed ha d awing ees o ep esen himsel as a use o
di e en languages helped him o make sense o how his p o iciency
in di e en languages had changed o e ime. Ka ya no ed ha
ce ain ac i i ies had helped he o ake a u u e pe spec i e on hei
languages. She ema ked ha w i ing a poem using colou s o
s imula e hough abou he languages encou aged he o conside
'wha [she needed] o do o make hem be e '. Anu adha and Ka ya
spoke a some leng h abou how he ac i i ies had helped hem
unde s and he ela ionship be ween hei languages and social
a ilia ions. Anu adha explained ha she had come o unde s and
how he di e en languages enabled he o eel a home in a numbe
o di e en coun ies: 'I ealised how impo an i is ha I ha e so many
languages so i I a el o a pa o he wo ld I won' eel like an
ou side .' Ka ya desc ibed eeling mo e a ease ha ing hough abou
he signi icance o being speaking Russian and English and
pa icipa ing in he wo cul u es she associa ed wi h hese languages:
'I makes me eel mo e com o able knowing how he
languages change my li e cos Russian changes my li e qui e a lo .
[…] Jus alking English all he ime ou side my home bu Russian
inside my home makes qui e a di e ence o me. […] I 's a
di e en language, a di e en li e, eally. I 's jus so di e en .
Di e en ood, di e en eac ions some imes.'
“Siemp e ha es ado a apado en mi in e io pe o aho a ha salido”: explo aciones de
las iden idades lingüís icas de los niños a a és de ac i idades c ea i as.
110 Re is a Fuen es, 15, Junio, 2014, pp. 93-112
I.S.S.N.: 1575-7072
e-I.S.S.N.: 2172-7775
D.O.I.: h p://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/ e is a uen es.2014.i15.05
Shi s in he child en's sel - ep esen a ions o e he yea o da a
collec ion also indica e he po en ial bene i s o such ac i i ies. The
ac i i ies suppo ed Ped o o a icula e he ensions he expe ienced in
ela ion o his home languages, and h ough doing so, he was able o
e lec on hese and come o new unde s andings: he ealised ha he
would ha e oppo uni ies o imp o e his Ge man a seconda y school,
and glimpsed he impo ance o Ge man o him in e ms o bo h amily
his o y and u u e social oppo uni ies. Ped o mo ed om only
exp essing us a ion wi h his slow p og ess wi h Ge man o en isaging
spending ime in Ge many and in e ac ing meaning ully in he
language. In a e y di e en way, he ac i i ies encou aged o he
child en o conside how o eign languages migh ea u e in hei li es.
O e he cou se o he yea , Ka ya began o a icula e a nascen
ision o hemsel es as a use o F ench, he o eign language she was
lea ning in school. She desc ibed being mo i a ed o lea n F ench so
she could a el in Canada and oiced a de eloping aspi a ion o
speak Spanish: 'I'd like o go o Spain o a while and y o make some
iends ou he e [...] [Go o] uni e si y o some hing'. Anu adha, acing
an imminen mo e o Rome, oiced inc easing con idence in he
abili y o lea n I alian o e he yea . A he beginning, Anu adha
desc ibed a sense o ailu e in ela ion o he a emp s o lea n I alian: 'I
eel eally bad a i . [...] I jus can ne e emembe i .' By he summe ,
Anu adha ecognised ha li ing in Rome would gi e he oppo uni ies
o lea n I alian, and exp essed con idence she would lea n i
success ully as he a he had done: '[My dad lea n I alian] in I aly. […]
I my dad can do i , why can' I?'
While he s udy does no p o ide 'ha d e idence', i seems likely
ha he child en's pa icipa ion in he ac i i ies played a ole in hei
de eloping sel -unde s andings. The child en's commen s abou hei
pa icipa ion in he ac i i ies and he shi s in he sel - ep esen a ions o
some o he child en h ough he ac i i ies indica e ha ha
imagina i e and e lec i e ac i i ies such as hose used o da a
collec ion in his s udy p o ide a 'na iga ional space' (Moje e al.,
2004) in which child en can make sense o hei p o iciency in and use
o di e en languages wi hin he di e se social con ex s o hei li es.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like o hank he child en and eache s who pa icipa ed
in he doc o al s udy behind his pape and Linda Fishe and Michael
E ans (Facul y o Educa ion, Uni e si y o Camb idge) o hei insigh s
and guidance as PhD supe iso and ad ise .
MONOGRÁFICO Le ine, R.
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“Siemp e ha es ado a apado en mi in e io pe o aho a ha salido”: explo aciones de
las iden idades lingüís icas de los niños a a és de ac i idades c ea i as.
112 Re is a Fuen es, 15, Junio, 2014, pp. 93-112
I.S.S.N.: 1575-7072
e-I.S.S.N.: 2172-7775
D.O.I.: h p://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/ e is a uen es.2014.i15.05
Sob e la au o a:
Ru h Le ine
le ine @hope.ac.uk
Ha ing ecen ly comple ed PhD esea ch in o child en’s iden i ies as use s o
di e en languages a he Uni e si y o Camb idge, Ru h has a keen in e es in
child en wi h communi y and he i age languages. She is also commi ed o he
b oade ield o language educa ion. A e eaching languages in schools in
Camb idge, Conwy and Villach (Aus ia), she mo ed in o esea ch and
eache educa ion. Following MEd s udy, she wo ked as a esea che on a
go e nmen - unded s udy looking a language lea ning a Key S age 3.
Alongside PhD s udy, Ru h de eloped a one mon h in e cul u al p og amme
o language eache s and ainees in China and has deli e ed his in he UK
and in China. She is cu en ly wo king in eache educa ion a Li e pool Hope
Uni e si y whe e she con ibu es o p ima y and seconda y p og ammes
Pa a ci a es e a ículo:
Le ine, R. (2014). “Siemp e ha es ado a apado en mi in e io pe o
aho a ha salido”: explo aciones de los niños de sus iden idades
lingüís icas a a és de ac i idades c ea i as. Re is a Fuen es, 15, Junio,
pp. 93-112. [Fecha de consul a: dd/mm/aaaa].
h p://www. e is a uen es.es/
D.O.I.: h p://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/ e is a uen es.2014.i15.05