Unraveling bilingual identity construction in different contexts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36505/TheLinguisticProceedings/2025/17/02/001/000687Keywords:
bilingual identity, code-switching, community attitudes, identity construction, integrated identitiesAbstract
This study explores how bilingual speakers construct and negotiate their identities across different linguistic and cultural contexts. It addresses the following questions: How do bilingual individuals perceive their sense of self in each language, and what social or contextual factors shape these perceptions? Six bilingual participants with diverse language backgrounds participated in semi-structured interviews. The data were audiorecorded, transcribed, and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The findings reveal that bilingual identity is shaped by access to linguistic communities, patterns of language separation or integration, and attitudes of the second language community. The study highlights bilingual identity as a dynamic and evolving process influenced by both social interaction and personal experience.References
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