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Ways of being multilingual in a monolingual state revealing the language ontologies and ideologies of young adult learners in a rural part of France through a language portrait exercise
This thesis explores what it is to be multilingual in a monolingual state. By undertaking a language portrait exercise, it examines the linguistic repertoires, histories and experiences of a diverse group of young adult learners attending high school in a rural part of France. These reveal not only...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | Eng |
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School of Education
2024
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| _version_ | 1867613164653248512 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Rajab, Zaheera |
| author2 | Kell, Catherine |
| author_browse | Kell, Catherine Rajab, Zaheera |
| author_facet | Kell, Catherine Rajab, Zaheera |
| author_sort | Rajab, Zaheera |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | This thesis explores what it is to be multilingual in a monolingual state. By undertaking a language portrait exercise, it examines the linguistic repertoires, histories and experiences of a diverse group of young adult learners attending high school in a rural part of France. These reveal not only the varying language ontologies and ideologies held amongst these young adults, but also how social hierarchies are sustained through sociolinguistic exclusion and silencing of minorities. These relate to France's monolingual education system, which ensures Franconormativity across the francophone world, despite the country's diverse population resulting from its colonial history, globalisation, migration and refugee crises. Eleven learners, five who were born in France and six migrants of diverse backgrounds volunteered to take part in this qualitative study. Following Busch's (2012) work on the expanded understanding of linguistic repertoires, language ontologies and ideologies were viewed through a post-structuralist and socio-cultural lens considering mobility, superdiversity and each participant's Spracherleben. A phenomenological approach was drawn on in the data collection and analysis, with the transcribed and translated data analysed thematically and through the lens of critical discourse analysis, multimodality and meta-discourses of the body. Amongst both the native and migrant learners, a very wide range of linguistic resources became evident. Distinctive features of this study included the focus on the vastly differing home and school repertoires and the space of tolerance and reflection which was created amongst learners, allowing learners from the global south to share southern epistemologies of language with their global north peers. This revealed the participants' language ontologies and cast new light on the dominance of monolingual ideologies in France. In turn, the ways in which linguistic resources are rendered invisible or hidden and how these forms of exclusion and silencing affect feelings of belonging, became evident, suggesting that the language ideologies purported by the state and its institutions have implications for deepening political polarisation and stigmatisation within France's population. As a small-scale study, it is not possible to generalize these findings. However, this study has transferable and naturalistic generalisability on account of the participants' diverse backgrounds and demographics. As many countries across Europe face similar problems with integration of migrants, the findings of this thesis could extend to the experiences of other migrants across the region. Thus, similar exploratory research could aid in understanding the current situation in this region and how the global north could more effectively welcome migrants who will inevitably keep seeking out better opportunities for themselves. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/40366 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | Eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:31:47.142Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | School of Education |
| publisherStr | School of Education |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/40366 Ways of being multilingual in a monolingual state revealing the language ontologies and ideologies of young adult learners in a rural part of France through a language portrait exercise Rajab, Zaheera Kell, Catherine Education This thesis explores what it is to be multilingual in a monolingual state. By undertaking a language portrait exercise, it examines the linguistic repertoires, histories and experiences of a diverse group of young adult learners attending high school in a rural part of France. These reveal not only the varying language ontologies and ideologies held amongst these young adults, but also how social hierarchies are sustained through sociolinguistic exclusion and silencing of minorities. These relate to France's monolingual education system, which ensures Franconormativity across the francophone world, despite the country's diverse population resulting from its colonial history, globalisation, migration and refugee crises. Eleven learners, five who were born in France and six migrants of diverse backgrounds volunteered to take part in this qualitative study. Following Busch's (2012) work on the expanded understanding of linguistic repertoires, language ontologies and ideologies were viewed through a post-structuralist and socio-cultural lens considering mobility, superdiversity and each participant's Spracherleben. A phenomenological approach was drawn on in the data collection and analysis, with the transcribed and translated data analysed thematically and through the lens of critical discourse analysis, multimodality and meta-discourses of the body. Amongst both the native and migrant learners, a very wide range of linguistic resources became evident. Distinctive features of this study included the focus on the vastly differing home and school repertoires and the space of tolerance and reflection which was created amongst learners, allowing learners from the global south to share southern epistemologies of language with their global north peers. This revealed the participants' language ontologies and cast new light on the dominance of monolingual ideologies in France. In turn, the ways in which linguistic resources are rendered invisible or hidden and how these forms of exclusion and silencing affect feelings of belonging, became evident, suggesting that the language ideologies purported by the state and its institutions have implications for deepening political polarisation and stigmatisation within France's population. As a small-scale study, it is not possible to generalize these findings. However, this study has transferable and naturalistic generalisability on account of the participants' diverse backgrounds and demographics. As many countries across Europe face similar problems with integration of migrants, the findings of this thesis could extend to the experiences of other migrants across the region. Thus, similar exploratory research could aid in understanding the current situation in this region and how the global north could more effectively welcome migrants who will inevitably keep seeking out better opportunities for themselves. 2024-07-05T12:55:42Z 2024-07-05T12:55:42Z 2024 2024-07-05T12:16:09Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MEd http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40366 Eng application/pdf School of Education Faculty of Humanities |
| spellingShingle | Education Rajab, Zaheera Ways of being multilingual in a monolingual state revealing the language ontologies and ideologies of young adult learners in a rural part of France through a language portrait exercise |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Ways of being multilingual in a monolingual state revealing the language ontologies and ideologies of young adult learners in a rural part of France through a language portrait exercise |
| title_full | Ways of being multilingual in a monolingual state revealing the language ontologies and ideologies of young adult learners in a rural part of France through a language portrait exercise |
| title_fullStr | Ways of being multilingual in a monolingual state revealing the language ontologies and ideologies of young adult learners in a rural part of France through a language portrait exercise |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ways of being multilingual in a monolingual state revealing the language ontologies and ideologies of young adult learners in a rural part of France through a language portrait exercise |
| title_short | Ways of being multilingual in a monolingual state revealing the language ontologies and ideologies of young adult learners in a rural part of France through a language portrait exercise |
| title_sort | ways of being multilingual in a monolingual state revealing the language ontologies and ideologies of young adult learners in a rural part of france through a language portrait exercise |
| topic | Education |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40366 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rajabzaheera waysofbeingmultilingualinamonolingualstaterevealingthelanguageontologiesandideologiesofyoungadultlearnersinaruralpartoffrancethroughalanguageportraitexercise |