Abstract
Focusing on the experiences of a female Syrian refugee, Nadeema, this chapter explores the relationship between her Arabic L1 literacy, her investment in learning and becoming literate in a second language, English, and the implications of this for identity/ies negotiation in the multiple domains of her life in Britain. It traces the ways in which Nadeema’s migration and post-migration settlement experiences in the UK impacted upon her literacy development and social mobility, guided by the research question: how does a Syrian refugee’s investment in learning English intersect with her social positioning, changing identities and social mobility? Data is drawn from a broader ethnographic investigation of the language learning and identity experiences of 14 adult Syrian refugee language learners, including Nadeema, recently arrived in the UK.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Literacies in the Age of Mobility |
| Subtitle of host publication | Literacy Practices of Adult and Adolescent Migrants |
| Editors | Annika Norland Shaswar, Jenny Rosén |
| Place of Publication | Cham |
| Publisher | Palgrave Macmillan |
| Chapter | 4 |
| Pages | 77-101 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9783030833176 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9783030833169 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 15 Feb 2022 |
Keywords
- ‘Investment’ in language learning
- Identity construction
- Community of Practice
- Ethnographic research
- ESOL classrooms
- Gendered identities
