A Dominant Language Constellations Case Study on Language Use and the Affective Domain

Abstract

Globalisation, international mobility, and new technologies make current multilingualism qualitatively different to not only mono- and bi-lingualism but also to any of its historical incarnations. As a new linguistic dispensation (Aronin L, Singleton D: Int J Multiling 5(1):1–16, 2008; Aronin L, Singleton D: Multilingualism. John Benjamins, Amsterdam, 2012; Aronin L: Current multilingualism and new developments in multilingual research. In: Safont P, Portoles L (eds) Multilingual development in the classroom: current findings from research. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle, 2015), current multilingualism is understood to be complex, suffusive, liminal, and super-diverse; four essential properties which necessitate alternative foci in multilingual research. From this view, multilinguals are the ‘glue’ that binds cultures and societies, it is therefore essential to focus on their socioculturally situated multilingual practices if we are to better understand the protagonists of this considerable social responsibility. In this regard, two concepts of profound interest are multilinguality (Aronin L, Ó Laoire M: Exploring multilingualism in cultural contexts: towards a notion of multilinguality. In: Hoffmann C, Ytsma J (eds) Trilingualism in family, school, and community, vol 43. Multilingual Matters, Clevedon, 2004) and, its expression/realisation in concrete time frames and socio-cultural contexts, dominant language constellations (DLC – Aronin L, Dominant language constellations: an approach to multilingualism studies. In: Ó Laoire M (ed) Multilingualism in educational settings. Schneider, Hohengehren, 2006; Aronin L: Multicompetence and dominant language constellation. In: Cook V, Wei L (eds) The Cambridge handbook of linguistic multicompetence. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2016). With this in mind, the current study examines the individual DLC of a Moroccan-born man living in the Valencian Community in Spain. In line with earlier research calling for more varied self-report data (Todeva E, Cenoz J: The multiple realities of multilingualism. De Gruyter Mouton, Berlin, 2009; Canagarajah AS, Wurr AJ: Read Matrix 11:1–15, 2011; Gorter D, Cenoz J: Mod Lang J 95:442–445. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2011.01203.x, 2011), the study uses semi-structured interviews to investigate relationships between the DLC and the affective domain; specifically, attitudes, emotion, and identity. The resulting qualitative data explores the following questions: How does a multilingual speaker use their DLC to navigate specific sociolinguistic contexts? What influence does the DLC have on the expression of identity and emotions in concrete daily situations? What role does the DLC play in the formation of language attitudes? Moreover, these issues are framed within an acculturation context to articulate what Canagarajah and Wurr (Read Matrix 11:1–15, 2011) call ‘voices from the periphery’. While accepting that a case study limits any attempt at generalisation, it is hoped that this research focus may contribute by providing another small piece to the overall puzzle of multilingual practices realised in concrete social and cultural contexts.