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Article published In:
Polymedia in Interaction
Edited by Jannis Androutsopoulos
[Pragmatics and Society 12:5] 2021
► pp. 782–804

Polymedia and family multilingualism

Linguistic repertoires and relationships in digitally mediated interaction

| University of Oslo | Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences

This paper investigates family multilingualism in a polymedia perspective, presenting results from a study of transnational communication among four families with Senegalese background, living in Norway. Ethnographic interview data collected in 2017 and 2018, including mediagrams, are analysed to get insight into the families’ uses of media and language. Furthermore, the moment-by-moment language practices through which family relationships are managed and sustained are examined through fine-grained analysis of interpersonal interaction. The paper thus both draws on and goes beyond polymedia to investigate how linguistic repertoires are developed in digital communication. The aim is to explore ways in which this theory may help us rethink family multilingualism as digital language practices become increasingly significant.

Keywords: family language policy, Wolof, heritage language, text messages, voice messages, mediagrams
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Family multilingualism in digital interaction
  • 3.Polymedia
  • 4.The Senegalese migrant families: Data and methods
  • 5.Awa Coly’s language and media choices
  • 6.Managing family relationships digitally
  • 7.Constructing the multilingual family in digital interaction
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 7 February 2022
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.20052.lex
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