Dynamic Multimodal Language Practices in Multilingual Indigenous Sámi Classrooms in Finland

Abstract

Starting from the premise that dynamic language practices are an emerging property of interaction, and that languages are learnt by participating in language practices, we focus in this chapter on the tensions and creativity that arise from complex, changing, and interconnected multilingual discourses, practices, and experiences in indigenous Sámi classrooms. Drawing on longitudinal ethnographic and discourse-analytic research on a multilingual indigenous Sámi community in Finland, we will examine the strategies and practices that a group of Sámi children develop, use, and modify while navigating this complex terrain. We illustrate the various ways in which the children adopt and play with the emergent norms and use their linguistic and cultural resources to navigate in a multilingual educational context. The aim of this study was to highlight the multilingual repertoires of these children, validate their literacy practices, and evaluate the presence of multilingualism and Sámi languages in the classroom.