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Chapter 18. “I speak French=eh”

Multilingualism and professional identity struggles in Luxembourg
  • Anne Franziskus
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Identity Struggles
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch Identity Struggles

Abstract

This chapter discusses the relationship between multilingual practices and the construction and challenging of professional identities at work. Whereas research into workplace discourses has intensely studied the ways in which staff members construct, negotiate and challenge each other’s professional and other identities at work, less work has so far been conducted on the specific impact of a multilingual workplace on these processes. This seems surprising, given that multilingual workplaces are the norm rather than the exception in today’s globalised world, and given that multilingualism in the workplace is a prominent area of research in workplace discourse. Moreover, the relationship between multilingualism and identity has been identified as one of the major issues in other areas of sociolinguistics. Using selected interactions from a supermarket and an IT company situated in Luxembourg, this chapter seeks to address this research desideratum by analysing (a) how staff members use their multilingual resources in their attempts to construct a coherent professional identity, (b) draw on their multilingual repertoires to challenge established power relations in the workplace, and (c) challenge others’ legitimate professional identities for using the ‘wrong’ language.

Abstract

This chapter discusses the relationship between multilingual practices and the construction and challenging of professional identities at work. Whereas research into workplace discourses has intensely studied the ways in which staff members construct, negotiate and challenge each other’s professional and other identities at work, less work has so far been conducted on the specific impact of a multilingual workplace on these processes. This seems surprising, given that multilingual workplaces are the norm rather than the exception in today’s globalised world, and given that multilingualism in the workplace is a prominent area of research in workplace discourse. Moreover, the relationship between multilingualism and identity has been identified as one of the major issues in other areas of sociolinguistics. Using selected interactions from a supermarket and an IT company situated in Luxembourg, this chapter seeks to address this research desideratum by analysing (a) how staff members use their multilingual resources in their attempts to construct a coherent professional identity, (b) draw on their multilingual repertoires to challenge established power relations in the workplace, and (c) challenge others’ legitimate professional identities for using the ‘wrong’ language.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Dedication v
  3. Table of contents vii
  4. Acknowledgements xi
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Part I. Struggling to construct professional competence
  7. Chapter 2. Coping with uncertainty 21
  8. Chapter 3. Constructing a “competent” meeting chair 39
  9. Chapter 4. Juggling “I”s and “we”s with “he”s and “she”s 57
  10. Chapter 5. Epistemic “Struggles” 79
  11. Chapter 6. Who’s the expert? 95
  12. Part II. Struggling to (de-)construct in-group membership
  13. Chapter 7. You’re a proper tradesman mate 127
  14. Chapter 8. Indian women at work 147
  15. Chapter 9. The dynamics of identity struggle in interdisciplinary meetings in higher education 165
  16. Chapter 10. Laughables as a resource for foregrounding shared knowledge and shared identities in intercultural interactions in Scandinavia 185
  17. Chapter 11. Workplace conflicts as (re)source for analysing identity struggles in stories told in interviews 207
  18. Chapter 12. Identities on a learning curve 225
  19. Part III. Struggling to combine (sometimes competing) expectations
  20. Chapter 13. Managing patients’ expectations in telephone complaints in Scotland 243
  21. Chapter 14. Identity work in nurse-client interactions in selected community hospitals in Kenya 263
  22. Chapter 15. ‘Even if there were procedures, we will be acting at our own discretion…’ 281
  23. Chapter 16. A kind of work 299
  24. Chapter 17. Adapting self for private and public audiences 317
  25. Chapter 18. “I speak French=eh” 335
  26. Part IV. Struggling to define identity boundaries
  27. Chapter 19. The discursive accomplishment of identity during veterinary medical consultations in the UK 355
  28. Chapter 20. Embracing a new professional identity 371
  29. Chapter 21. Identity and space 387
  30. Chapter 22. Household workers’ use of directives to negotiate their professional identity in Lima, Peru 407
  31. Chapter 23. ‘We’re only here to help’ 427
  32. Chapter 24. Epilogue 445
  33. Index 455
https://doi.org/10.1075/dapsac.69.18fra

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Dedication v
  3. Table of contents vii
  4. Acknowledgements xi
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Part I. Struggling to construct professional competence
  7. Chapter 2. Coping with uncertainty 21
  8. Chapter 3. Constructing a “competent” meeting chair 39
  9. Chapter 4. Juggling “I”s and “we”s with “he”s and “she”s 57
  10. Chapter 5. Epistemic “Struggles” 79
  11. Chapter 6. Who’s the expert? 95
  12. Part II. Struggling to (de-)construct in-group membership
  13. Chapter 7. You’re a proper tradesman mate 127
  14. Chapter 8. Indian women at work 147
  15. Chapter 9. The dynamics of identity struggle in interdisciplinary meetings in higher education 165
  16. Chapter 10. Laughables as a resource for foregrounding shared knowledge and shared identities in intercultural interactions in Scandinavia 185
  17. Chapter 11. Workplace conflicts as (re)source for analysing identity struggles in stories told in interviews 207
  18. Chapter 12. Identities on a learning curve 225
  19. Part III. Struggling to combine (sometimes competing) expectations
  20. Chapter 13. Managing patients’ expectations in telephone complaints in Scotland 243
  21. Chapter 14. Identity work in nurse-client interactions in selected community hospitals in Kenya 263
  22. Chapter 15. ‘Even if there were procedures, we will be acting at our own discretion…’ 281
  23. Chapter 16. A kind of work 299
  24. Chapter 17. Adapting self for private and public audiences 317
  25. Chapter 18. “I speak French=eh” 335
  26. Part IV. Struggling to define identity boundaries
  27. Chapter 19. The discursive accomplishment of identity during veterinary medical consultations in the UK 355
  28. Chapter 20. Embracing a new professional identity 371
  29. Chapter 21. Identity and space 387
  30. Chapter 22. Household workers’ use of directives to negotiate their professional identity in Lima, Peru 407
  31. Chapter 23. ‘We’re only here to help’ 427
  32. Chapter 24. Epilogue 445
  33. Index 455
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Heruntergeladen am 1.10.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/dapsac.69.18fra/html
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