A Study of Plurilingualism and Pluriculturalism Through the Lived Experiences of Three Young Adults from Multigenerational Homes
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
A Study of Plurilingualism and Pluriculturalism Through the Lived Experiences of Three Young Adults From Multigenerational Homes by Elissa Daniela Corsi A dissertation submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Italian Studies University of Toronto © Copyright by Elissa Daniela Corsi 2019 A Study of Plurilingualism and Pluriculturalism Through the Lived Experiences of Three Young Adults in Multigenerational Homes Elissa Daniela Corsi Doctor of Philosophy Department of Italian Studies University of Toronto 2019 Abstract This qualitative study explored the lived experiences that contribute to plurilingualism and pluricultural identity for three young adults living in multigenerational homes. The research focused on the shared stories of the participants in regard to their language, culture, and identity. The timeline for the study was over various segments of the primary participant’s life, which began with her early bilingual language development as a child in the year 2000. Later, as a young adult, she explored her plurilingual and pluricultural identity through semistructured interviews and stimulated recall (SR). Data for the other two participants were collected over a three month period through one-on-one semistructured interviews. The participants all lived in multigenerational homes, where both Italian and English were spoken. Additionally, all participants received varying amounts of French language instruction at school. At the conclusion of the interviews, data were analyzed through the use of thematic analysis. The ii themes explored were: family, in particular grandparents; language; and identity. The study found that positive relationships with family and extended family present in the home was a significant factor in the development of plurilingual and cultural identity for all three participants. Greater linguistic ability did not necessarily lead to greater language confidence, nor greater plurilingual self-identification. The interconnectedness of language and the acceptance of the varying degrees of language competency within an individual’s language repertoire was also explored. The data led to the conclusion that all three participants had found a way in which to be both Canadian and Italian in Alberta. Participants shared experiences in which they viewed their identity as linked to more than one language and culture. While the study allowed for a detailed view into which experiences impacted on the development of plurilingual and pluricultural identification, more attention to plurilingualism is needed in order to further develop the research concerning the topic. iii Acknowledgments The journey to completion has been long and there are many people that have made this doctoral dissertation possible. I have to start by thanking my three participants. Without their stories, there would not be a dissertation. Thank you for the time you spent with me and for your willingness to share stories about your families, your languages, and your identities. I wish to thank Dr. Enrica Piccardo, my thesis supervisor. Your guidance and support have been essential throughout this process. Thank you for the many hours of reading, editing and discussions. I am so grateful that you agreed to be my supervisor even though there had been such a long break in my doctoral program. Thank you for taking a chance and working with me. To Dr. Gianrenzo Clivio, it was your encouragement and love of language learning and dialects that initially started me on this road many years ago. Dr. Marcel Danesi and Dr. Simone Casini, my committee members, thank you both for your encouragement, insight, and willingness to work within tight timelines so that I could complete the process within a given timeframe. This dissertation is better because of your comments and suggestions. Thank you. To my parents, it is hard to find the words to express what your support has meant to me. This journey began 18 years ago when I was a young adult living in your home. Your belief in me has not wavered since then and your encouragement had been constant. I am so very grateful for you both. To my world, Maia, and Alessandro, this is for you both. Thank you for your understanding as I worked many evenings and weekends this past year. Remember that anything is possible with hard work and dedication. Finally to Felice, thank you for allowing me this year to devote to myself and to my writing. Thank you for your understanding, your encouragement, and your love. iv Table of Contents Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ..................................................................................................................................x List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ xi List of Appendices ........................................................................................................................ xii List of Acronyms ......................................................................................................................... xiii Chapter 1 Research Introduction .................................................................................................1 1.1 Research overview ...................................................................................................1 1.2 Setting the stage .......................................................................................................1 1.2.1 Identity, language, and culture ..................................................................2 1.2.2 Plurilingualism ..........................................................................................2 1.3 Purpose of the research ............................................................................................3 1.4 Research questions ...................................................................................................4 1.5 Organization of the study .........................................................................................4 1.6 Limitations ...............................................................................................................5 Chapter 2 Literature Review ........................................................................................................7 An overview .........................................................................................................................7 2.1 Origins of poststructuralism .....................................................................................7 2.1.1 Poststructuralism defined ..........................................................................8 2.1.2 Poststructuralism and second languages ...................................................9 2.1.3 Poststructuralist language research ..........................................................10 2.2 Language and identity ............................................................................................13 2.2.1 Language and identity research ...............................................................14 2.2.2 Identity and language learning ................................................................17 2.3 Cultural identity .....................................................................................................19 v 2.3.1 Italo-Canadian biculturalism ...................................................................21 2.3.2 Pluricultural identity ................................................................................22 2.4 Bilingualism and multilingualism: More than just two languages ........................23 2.5 Plurilingualism .......................................................................................................25 2.6 Children and language development ......................................................................27 2.6.1 Early childhood bilingualism ..................................................................28 2.6.2 Language of the community ....................................................................28 2.6.3 Vocabulary and language development ...................................................29 2.6.4 Second or third language development ...................................................30 2.6.5 School and identity ..................................................................................31 2.6.6 Cross-linguistic influences ......................................................................34 2.6.7 Translanguaging ......................................................................................34 2.7 Heritage language maintenance .............................................................................37 2.8 Caregivers and extended family: Influence on language and cultural identity ......40 2.8.1 Multigenerational considerations ............................................................42 2.9 Significance of the study ........................................................................................44 Chapter 3 Methodology ...............................................................................................................47 Overall Research Design....................................................................................................47 3.1 The case study as an approach ...............................................................................48