Structure and agency in the development of plurilingual identities in study abroad

In this chapter, we place centre stage the notion of plurilingual identity as the result of a dialectical relationship between agency and structure. In the light of these three notions, we critically discuss existing European SA research, thus suggesting a new research avenue around two relatively r...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Cots Caimons, Josep Maria, Mitchell, Rosamond, Beaven, Ana
Tipo de recurso: capítulo de libro
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10459.1/467223
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/467223
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Study abroad
Identity
Structure
Agency
Descripción
Sumario:In this chapter, we place centre stage the notion of plurilingual identity as the result of a dialectical relationship between agency and structure. In the light of these three notions, we critically discuss existing European SA research, thus suggesting a new research avenue around two relatively recent interests in applied linguistics: identity and multilingualism. The chapter can be seen as the initial stage in the elaboration of a principled platform for future research on the constitution and evolution of plurilingual identities by taking into account the individuals’ interactions with their contexts and how these interactions can be affected by and affect their linguistic repertoires. The chapter can also be considered as a useful preliminary step to reassess learners’ experiences of SA programmes, showing the need to take into account (i) students’ communicative repertoire as a whole, including both the development of their plurilingual skills and attitudes, and (ii) the structural opportunities and constraints with which students are confronted in the process of deploying their agency.