A case study of a Brazilian newcomer in a Luxembourgish school: understanding the role of Legitimate Peripheral Participation in identity development

Authors

  • Roberto Gómez Fernández Universidad Autónoma de Madrid MIRCO (Multilingüismo, Identidades Sociales, Relaciones Interculturales y Comunicación) Research group Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v8i2.293

Keywords:

multilingualism, newcomers, NAMS, Portuguese-language speaking children, communities of practice, Luxembourg

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to better comprehend the learning processes contributing to the identity development of a 7-year old Portuguese-speaking newcomer in a multilingual primary school. Portuguese-speaking students constitute one of the ethnic and linguistic communities most affected by academic failure in Luxembourg. Furthermore, Newly Arrived Migrant Students (NAMS), as defined by the European Commission (2013), constitute a special-needs, understudied and ever-growing group in European schools today. Drawing on the Community of Practice framework applied to educational contexts (Morton, 2012), this research is a sociolinguistic ethnography focusing on educational resources. With an innovative application of Legitimate Peripheral Participation (LPP) and educational resources (linguistic, curricular, cultural), this paper contributes to current research on NAMS in multilingual schools. The results drawn to our attention not only the importance of the roles of both the teacher and classmates on the newcomer’s identity development and learning, but also the predisposition of the newcomer to participate and evolve in the new community of learners.

Author Biography

  • Roberto Gómez Fernández, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid MIRCO (Multilingüismo, Identidades Sociales, Relaciones Interculturales y Comunicación) Research group
    Roberto Gómez Fernández is a Research Associated affiliated to the Applied Educational Sciences Institute at the Université du Luxembourg. He is also attached to the MIRCo research group (Multilingualism, social Identities, intercultural Relations and Communication) at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. In 2011 he was awarded a Ph.D. in Education by the Université du Luxembourg and Linguistics by the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid for a thesis on identity construction, learning and school newcomers entitled Being a Newcomer in a Multilingual School: A Case Study. Roberto has studied and taught/researched in US universities (Bowling Green State University and Georgetown University) and European universities (Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Universidad de Alcalá, Université de la Lorraine, Université du Luxembourg and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid). His research interests revolve around multilingualism, identity and language use and learning in schools.

Published

2014-12-31

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Gómez Fernández, R. (2014). A case study of a Brazilian newcomer in a Luxembourgish school: understanding the role of Legitimate Peripheral Participation in identity development. Sociolinguistic Studies, 8(2), 293-313. https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v8i2.293