Crossing Deep Divides: Exploring the Dynamics of Multilingual College Students’ Language and Literacy Experiences

Abstract

This study examines the relationality of social and material “forces of encounter,” or affects, in multilingual college students’ becoming. Using participants’ interviews, photos, and online literacy activities, this study highlights two key points of entry: deterritorialization, where participants begin learning English, and reterritorialization, where they reconnect with their heritage language. This research emphasizes the fluid nature of multilingual identities and how literacy practices foster resilience and agency in navigating linguistic and cultural challenges.

Authors

• Rachel Kook, University of Kansas

• Emily Tummons, University of Kansas

• Kwangok Song, University of Kansas

• Sarah AlRasheed, University of Kansas

• Liyan Yang, University of Kansas