Page 227 - Ana Kozina and Nora Wiium, eds. ▪︎ Positive Youth Development in Contexts. Ljubljana: Educational Research Institute, 2021. Digital Library, Dissertationes (Scientific Monographs), 42.
P. 227
mobilising the potential held by one’s entire linguistic repertoire ...
Since interdisciplinary studies of multilingualism shed light on different
(micro and macro) social contexts of language use (e.g., Cenoz 2013b;
Comanaru & Dewaele, 2015; Kramsch, 2010) as well as empirically investi-
gate multilingualism’s positive impact on individuals’ social activation,
emotionality, and personal development (e.g., Dewaele & Pavlenko 2002–
2003; Panicacci, 2019; Resnik & Dewaele, 2020), the study of their connec-
tion to the external and internal assets might reveal the impact of the indi-
vidual’s (multi)language competence on their overall experience with the
resources for positive development and also give better insight into the
availability of contextual resources to young people. For instance, school
environments that successfully incorporate translanguaging and plurilin-
gual practices in their inclusive approaches (e.g., Beacco et al., 2016; Garcia,
2009) might be recognised by youth as institutions that offer more support
and empowerment. The self-perceived multi-competence of youth as one of
the elements of greater confidence (Dewaele, 2016) could be linked with
their experience of commitment to learning and positive values. Different
aspects of language anxiety (i.e., heritage, majority, foreign-language anxi-
ety) might be linked to young people’s experience with boundaries and ex-
pectations as well as positive identity with a special focus on migrant
(Sevinç & Backus, 2017; Sevinç & Dewaele, 2016), school (Dewaele et al.,
2017), family and community contexts (Panicacci, 2019). Similarly, within
the 5Cs, research on the cognitive outcomes of multilingualism (Barac &
Bialystock, 2011; Kharkhurin, 2008, 2010), the role of positive emotions in
language anxiety (e.g., Dewaele et al., 2019; Dewaele & MacIntyre 2014;
Resnik & Dewaele 2020), the effect on individuals’ personality in terms of
open-mindedness, cultural empathy, and emotional stability (Dewaele
2016; Dewaele & Wei 2012) and the value of individuals’ multilingual/mul-
ticultural identity for the community (Wei et al., 2002) may point to sever-
al indicators of positive development.
The migrant context might be particularly interesting for the study
of positive youth development that incorporates multilingualism research.
In the PYD – SI MODEL, migration status is identified as a risk factor re-
lated to negative youth development outcomes (e.g. risky or problem be-
haviour, emotional difficulties, problems with school functioning) and of-
ten come as a result of the interplay between external and internal factors
in adolescents’ processes of acculturation as well as adjusting to the indi-
vidual and social transitions of their age period (Strohmeier & Schmitt-
Rodermund, 2008; Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 2001). However, PYD
227
Since interdisciplinary studies of multilingualism shed light on different
(micro and macro) social contexts of language use (e.g., Cenoz 2013b;
Comanaru & Dewaele, 2015; Kramsch, 2010) as well as empirically investi-
gate multilingualism’s positive impact on individuals’ social activation,
emotionality, and personal development (e.g., Dewaele & Pavlenko 2002–
2003; Panicacci, 2019; Resnik & Dewaele, 2020), the study of their connec-
tion to the external and internal assets might reveal the impact of the indi-
vidual’s (multi)language competence on their overall experience with the
resources for positive development and also give better insight into the
availability of contextual resources to young people. For instance, school
environments that successfully incorporate translanguaging and plurilin-
gual practices in their inclusive approaches (e.g., Beacco et al., 2016; Garcia,
2009) might be recognised by youth as institutions that offer more support
and empowerment. The self-perceived multi-competence of youth as one of
the elements of greater confidence (Dewaele, 2016) could be linked with
their experience of commitment to learning and positive values. Different
aspects of language anxiety (i.e., heritage, majority, foreign-language anxi-
ety) might be linked to young people’s experience with boundaries and ex-
pectations as well as positive identity with a special focus on migrant
(Sevinç & Backus, 2017; Sevinç & Dewaele, 2016), school (Dewaele et al.,
2017), family and community contexts (Panicacci, 2019). Similarly, within
the 5Cs, research on the cognitive outcomes of multilingualism (Barac &
Bialystock, 2011; Kharkhurin, 2008, 2010), the role of positive emotions in
language anxiety (e.g., Dewaele et al., 2019; Dewaele & MacIntyre 2014;
Resnik & Dewaele 2020), the effect on individuals’ personality in terms of
open-mindedness, cultural empathy, and emotional stability (Dewaele
2016; Dewaele & Wei 2012) and the value of individuals’ multilingual/mul-
ticultural identity for the community (Wei et al., 2002) may point to sever-
al indicators of positive development.
The migrant context might be particularly interesting for the study
of positive youth development that incorporates multilingualism research.
In the PYD – SI MODEL, migration status is identified as a risk factor re-
lated to negative youth development outcomes (e.g. risky or problem be-
haviour, emotional difficulties, problems with school functioning) and of-
ten come as a result of the interplay between external and internal factors
in adolescents’ processes of acculturation as well as adjusting to the indi-
vidual and social transitions of their age period (Strohmeier & Schmitt-
Rodermund, 2008; Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 2001). However, PYD
227
