This book explores language maintenance and development in the linguistic lives of second-, third-, and fourth-generation immigrants as they navigate migration and diaspora, highlighting the role of women in acting as custodians and gate-keepers of family languages towards creating a sense of home. The volume features an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on work from narrative, storytelling, literary studies, and linguistic anthropology, as well as interviews with multiple generations of immigrant families, to reflect on the ways these families foster a sense of home and maintain connections to their homelands through language. Robinson showcases the voices of a diverse range of families to examine the choices women in immigrant families make between the use of family languages, dominant community languages, or a mix of the two. The volume enhances our understanding of the ways in which immigrants navigate the linguistic landscapes of home and community amid migration and diaspora. This book will be of interest to students and scholars in linguistic anthropology, sociolinguistics, language and gender, and language and migration.

Exploring the roles of students' pluralistic linguistic and transnational identities at the university level, this book offers a novel approach to translanguaging by highlighting students' perspectives, voices, and agency as integral to the subject. Providing an original reconsideration of the impact of translanguaging, this book examines both transnationality and translinguality as ubiquitous phenomena that affect students' lives. Demonstrating that students are the experts of their own language practices, experiences, and identities, the authors argue that a proactive translingual pedagogy is more than an openness to students' spontaneous language variations. Rather, this proactive approach requires students and instructors to think about students' holistic communicative repertoire, and how it relates to their writing. Robinson, Hall, and Navarro address students' complex negotiations and performative responses to the linguistic identities imposed upon them because of their skin color, educational background, perceived geographical origin, immigration status, and the many other cues used to "minoritize" them. Drawing on multiple disciplinary discourses of language and identity, and considering the translingual practices and transnational experiences of both U.S. resident and international students, this volume provides a nuanced analysis of students' own perspectives and self-examinations of their complex identities. By introducing and addressing the voices and self-reflections of undergraduate and graduate students, the authors shine a light on translingual and transnational identities and positionalities in order to promote and implement inclusive and effective pedagogies. This book offers a unique yet essential perspective on translinguality and transnationality, and is relevant to instructors in writing and language classrooms; to administrators of writing programs and international student support programs; and to graduate students and scholars in language education, second language writing, applied linguistics, and literacy studies.

About the Author

Heather Robinson is now 22, a gym instructor working in London. She has been involved in fundraising, sports events and mental health documentaries trying to create awareness about the mis-diagnosis currently in the NHS. Originally from Leeds she developed anorexia nervosa as a secondary illness to OCD. The conditions worked hand in hand for six years until finally she worked out her own strategies to repair the mental and physical damage done. She writes, is a keen poet, loves music, dance, sport, running, clubbing, outdoor pursuits and socialising. One day she hopes to open a sports clinic for addictions.

Book Extract

" RUNNING IN THE RAIN

Starting light which cools my skin.
My clothes now tight that soothe within.
Seeming hydrated, energy inflated,
Faster rhythm the pure has created.

Dripping, soaked, sodden but pure,
Health in my skin much improved I'm sure.
The big smoke is no equal match
to nature's promise of an oasis and fresh catch.

Rain clears the tears which have
built up over the years.
Satisfied, my head is empty,
Running in the rain, do it, be free.

PARANOIA

Zombie nation, my creation.
Demons await me at the station.
Eyes are wide, heading my way,
Buzzing, fuzzing, but not hearing what they say.
Turn around, running silent,
tongues are bitter and expressions violent.
Is it the smoke?
Was it the pills?
Speed, weed and even chemical
All left me with very little thrill.
This is now, but do you know what hurts?
Knowing about the greener grass
and not being able to reverse.
2.4 children, mortgage and paid leave;
why am I not in that world?
Why did I deceive? "