Social networks, multilingual interactional practices and second language development among Syrian refugees in France
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19217596 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Inès Saddour (0000-0003-0001-2979, Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-21 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-27 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0143-4632 • E-ISSN: 1747-7557 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/01434632.2026.2661904 |
| OpenAlex | W7157351439 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 97 |
Social networks often support SLA development among international students by increasing exposure and interaction opportunities. Even though research on refugee learners is gaining interest in SLA, social networks’ effects on their SLA remain underexplored. Interactional practices in refugees are not merely oriented toward language-learning goals but also relate to survival, identity maintenance, and transnational ties. As part of the CLASS project, this longitudinal study examines the social networks of adult Syrian refugees in France and their relationship to L2 French development. Over a two-year period, participants reported interactions across multiple contexts, allowing analysis of network size, interaction frequency, and language use. Results show that refugees maintain highly multilingual repertoires, combining co-national ties and broader host-community ties, thereby expanding their L2 and acquiring additional languages. While French-using network size tends to increase over time, its impact on L2 lexical diversity is moderated by interaction frequency. Specifically, sustained engagement in L2-speaking networks is associated with greater gains, particularly at later time points. Additionally, individual differences further shape outcomes, as engagement in broader interactions is influenced by age of arrival, highlighting the complexity of refugee social networks and the effect of individual variation when investigating their effects on L2 proficiency in resettlement contexts
Indo-European languages · Language planning · Language proficiency · Multilingualism · Neuroscience of multilingualism · Refugee · Second language · Sociolinguistics · Syrian refugees · French Language Learning Methods · Linguistic and Sociocultural Studies · Multilingual Education and Policy
Identity and Language Learning
Language Learning and Study Abroad
Lexical Diversity and Language Development
Language Learning in Study Abroad
SLA and the Study of Equitable Multilingualism
Social Network Development, Language Use, and Language Acquisition during Study Abroad
Input, Interaction, and Second Language Development
MTLD, vocd-D, and HD-D
Researching whole people and whole lives
The Language Contact Profile
Input, Interaction, and Second Language Production
The Role of the Linguistic Environment in Second Language Acquisition
Models for Longitudinal Network Data
Bowling alone
Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using lme4
Native speaker/non-native speaker conversation and the negotiation of comprehensible input1
Barriers and Facilitators for Academic Success and Social Integration of Refugee Students in Canadian and US K–12 Schools
The relationship between social network typology, L2 proficiency growth, and curriculum design in university study abroad
Rethinking Mobility and Language
Linguistic complexity in second language acquisition
The impact of oral English proficiency on humanitarian migrants’ experiences of settling in Australia
Evolutions of personal networks and life events
Changing times
The Resettlement Journey
What if Networks Move? Dynamic Social Network ing in the Context of African Migration to Europe
Social Networks and Language Learning in Forced Immersion
New words, new lives
Self-reliance and Social Networks
You can’t have a good integration when you don’t have a good communication’
Integration or Isolation? Refugees’ Social Connections and Wellbeing
Relationships between social networks and language development during study abroad
Challenges and Coping
Measuring social interaction during study abroad
Investigating the interrelationship between rated L2 proficiency and linguistic complexity in L2 speech
Refugees welcome? Inter-group interaction and host community attitude formation
Documenting L2 input and interaction during study abroad
Low-educated immigrants and the social relevance of second language acquisition research
Interaction and instructed second language acquisition
Language learning and study abroad
The Economic Returns of Immigrants’ Bonding and Bridging Social Capital
Acquisition of Cross-Ethnic Friends by Recent Immigrants in Canada
The Impact of Host Family Relations and Length of Stay on Adolescent Identity Expression during Study Abroad
The Vancouver Index of Acculturation (Via)
What’s the problem? I am happy that you are my customer!’ African immigrant women’s emotional labour and resilience in a multilingual workplace
A model of destination-language acquisition
Language Proficiency and Labour Market Performance of Immigrants in the UK
Variables Affecting L2 Gains During Study Abroad
Beyond the Classroom Walls
Is acculturation unidimensional or bidimensional? A head-to-head comparison in the prediction of personality, self-identity, and adjustment
Understanding Social Media Dependency, and Uses and Gratifications as a Communication System in the Migration Era
Language Learning Tool for Refugees
The Influence of Social Networks During Study Abroad
Understanding Integration
Identity and Language Learning in Study Abroad
Structures and Strategies for Social Integration
Social Networks in Transit
Study Abroad Students' Social Contacts in Different Linguistic Contexts and Their Relationship With English Use and Development
Language barriers between nurses and asylum seekers
Language acquisition, unemployment and depressive disorder among Southeast Asian refugees
The Lang-Track-App
The networked refugee
Multilingualism enhances immigration acceptance through increased intergroup quality contact
Looking for weak ties
An empirical-analytical approach to the study of recent refugee migrants in Germany
Having a good friend, a good neighbour, can help you find yourself
The dynamics of recent refugees' language acquisition
Forced migrants and secure belonging
Immigrant Self-Employment
New Migrants' Social Integration, Embedding and Emplacement in Superdiverse Contexts
Social Networks, Social Support and Social Capital
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |