Sociolinguistics of mischief. Translingual practices of posthuman children in a Finnish primary school class
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21175481 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Venla Rantanen (0000-0002-9967-7681, University of Jyväskylä, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-19 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-29 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Critical Inquiry in Language Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1542-7587 • E-ISSN: 1542-7595 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/15427587.2025.2579264 |
| OpenAlex | W4415650620 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 38 |
Drawing on linguistic ethnography and sociolinguistics of globalization, this study examines how eight-year-old children embody hegemonic subject positions through translingual practices, i.e. fluid use of linguistic and other semiotic means, in moments that could be read as mischief or off-task action. Applying the lens of intrasectional, feminist critical discourse analysis, this article demonstrates how adopting an ideological standpoint of posthuman child, i.e. acknowledging children’s practices and bodies as legitimate and equally valued to adults,’ unfolds new ways to interpret the data. This study contributes to the knowledge of children’s practices from an emancipatory perspective. The data was generated over a period of six months in one school in the capital region of Finland, where the author had a double role as a teacher and a researcher of a racially and linguistically diverse class. This article focuses on one classroom recording, in which the children present research projects conducted by themselves. The analysis shows that children skillfully mobilize languages, registers, multimodal means and knowledges to embody hegemonic subject positions. Despite interrupting formal learning, the children’s practices are not random but meaningful, providing windows to alternative ways of knowing
Discourse analysis · Metalinguistics · Multilingualism · Posthuman · Social class · Sociolinguistics · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Multilingual Education and Policy · Semiotics and Cultural Interpretation
Humanizing Research
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Translingual Practice as Spatial Repertoires
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Positioning
Unsettling race and language
The Wonder of Data
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |