In search of the embodied translanguaging self: Digital language portraits as a pathway to multilingual identity

Description

Building on the growing body of research into translanguaging as a practical theory of human communication and cognition (Li, 2018), this paper posits that all humans are inherently translanguaging beings actively engaged in translanguaging practices from antiquity to the present day. If this premise holds true, we can further hypothesize that part of our lives may revolve around the quest for our translanguaging identities, thus illuminating the philosophical question of "Who am I?" (Coulmas, 2019). I illustrate this concept through case studies of Digital Language Portraits (DLPs: Mu & Wen, 2024; Mu et al., 2024), which serve as embodied "translanguaging space" (Li, 2011) where multilingual individuals narrate and reflect on their daily experiences in a super-diverse city. Overall, I argue that DLPs are effective tools for revealing the creative and critical use of multilingual, multimodal, and multi-semiotic repertoires, highlighting how subjective experiences transcend linguistic boundaries.

Period	26 Feb 2025
Held at	Institute of Chartered Linguists (Hong Kong Society)