Transnationalism and Translingualism

Abstract

In the context of globalization, all writers occupy a space that is liminal—i.e., between communities, languages, and nations. Such positioning motivates in them a search for identities and literacies that go beyond bounded, static, and territorialized constructs and norms. This liminal space is referred to as transnational . This chapter demonstrates how inhabiting a transnational space is connected to adopting translingual communicative practices. Many complex explanations account for what motivates some to occupy this transnational social space and attain translingual dispositions, while others desire bounded spaces, territorialized identities, and language ownership. The chapter illustrates the connection between translingualism and transnationalism through a literacy autobiography of a Tibetan student in a Midwestern American university. The chapter will also demonstrate the functions of literacy narratives in facilitating a translingual awareness and transnational positioning. After defining the key terms and reviewing theoretical discourses that explain the connection, the chapter analyzes the literacy narrative and identity development of the student to generate useful pedagogical implications.

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