Language, Identity, and Interaction in Multilingual Classrooms: A Study of Everyday Educational Practices
Keywords:
multilingual classrooms, language and identity, classroom interaction, translanguaging, student participationAbstract
This study explores how language, identity, and interaction are negotiated in everyday practices within multilingual classrooms. Using a qualitative approach, the research focuses on how students and teachers use multiple languages during classroom activities, peer collaboration, and routine communication. The study involved 20 participants, consisting of 15 students and 5 teachers from a multilingual secondary school. Data were collected through classroom observations and semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns related to participation, identity construction, and interactional dynamics. The findings reveal four central dimensions of multilingual classroom life. First, flexible language use functions as a resource that supports students’ access to learning and encourages active participation. Second, language plays a significant role in shaping identity and belonging, as students draw on different linguistic repertoires to express cultural affiliation and social alignment. Third, peer interaction emerges as an important space for collaborative meaning-making, where students negotiate understanding through shared linguistic resources. Finally, classroom communication also reflects dynamics of inclusion and exclusion, as language competence and recognition influence students’ confidence and social positioning. Overall, the study highlights that multilingual classrooms are not only spaces of language learning but also social environments where identity and relationships are continuously constructed through interaction. Understanding how everyday language practices shape participation and belonging can help educators create more inclusive and responsive learning environments that value linguistic diversity as an asset rather than a challenge.
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