Multilingualism, translation, interpreting and linguistic inequality

Description: This dissertation enriched the knowledge on ‘integration’ by combining a multidimensional with a multi- and intergenerational perspective. We added to existing knowledge by including not only migrants and their children in our study, but also their grandchildren; and by studying integration from not only a multi- but also an intergenerational perspective. Furthermore, we showed how the concept of (the politics of) belonging provides much needed additional tools to open up the discussion about the definition and the pathways of integration with the perspectives of (descendants of) migrants themselves, to conceptualise their transnational belongings next to their local ones, and to grasp the dynamic interplay between (descendants of) migrants and the broader (receiving) society. We concluded that (studying) integration should not only be about increasing similarities to a dominant majority group, but also about the remaking of the mainstream and its growing capacity for dissent.
Promoter(s): Ilse Derluyn , Lieve Bradt
Researcher(s): Floor Verhaeghe
Faculty / Faculties: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
Period of time: 2012 - 2019

Description: The project aims to gain a better understanding of the communication needs of applicants for international protection in the reception network, and use these insights to develop a more targeted multilingual information service for this target group. The project focuses on the intake phase of applicants with a vulnerable linguistic profile. On the basis of ethnographic field research, the project aims to develop a multilingual website (audio and video) in order to better attune the provision of information to the language needs of this target group.
Promoter(s): Katrijn Maryns , July De Wilde
Researcher(s): Aline Guaus
Faculty / Faculties: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Period of time: 2019 - 2022

Description: This research is about assimilation processes of several generations of migrants (1st, 2nd, 3rd generation) in different time episodes (sixties, eighties, present). Assimilation is not seen as an ideal to reach, but rachter as a possible way of examining processes migrants go through in the receiving country. Assimilation is used as a multidimensional concept, with a structural (education, labour market), cultural (language, leisure time), social (network, membership of organizations) and identificational dimension (self-identification in terms of ethnic/regional/national belonging). Objective as well as subjective components (own perception of migrants) are taken into account. Three studies are planned: a survey with youngsters in the last years of secondary schools in Genk and Sint-Niklaas, family interviews with multigenerational families with a migrant background and a discourse analysis of newspaper articles of different time episodes.
Promoter(s): Ilse Derluyn, Lieve Bradt
Researcher(s): Floor Verhaeghe
Faculty: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
Period of time: 2012 - 2018

Description: Providing an adapted language input in a multicultural classroom is often challenging to educators. Teachers are frequently the parents’ first contacts for language counselling and educational support, and therefore, they may influence the language exposure not only in the classroom but at home as well. This study aims to investigate the cognitive, emotional and behavioural attitudes and needs related to multilingualism of teachers in Flanders to formulate hands-on logopaedic advice on language input in a multilingual school environment.
Promoter(s): Evelien D'haeseleer , Kristiane Van Lierde
Researcher(s): Julie Daelman , Yana Nys
Faculty / Faculties: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Period of time: 2020 - 2023

Description: The project aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of global English use in dialogic and triadic asylum interaction at the Belgian asylum agencies. It provides a linguistic-ethnographic analysis based on interview data (both authentic asylum interview data and semi-structured interviews with asylum applicants, officers and interpreters) gathered at different asylum agencies. Adopting an integrated approach to the participation structure of the asylum encounter (incorporating both dialogic and triadic interaction strategies and research perspectives), this study aims to contribute to both fundamental and applied research insights into global English use in migration encounters where English has no official status. The project will explore how such different practices of multilingualism pragmatically and indexically impact on the interaction between the participants and by extension how they affect the discursive construction of socio-legal identities in the asylum process.
Promoter(s): Katrijn Maryns
Researcher(s): Katrijn Maryns
Department / Research group: Department of Linguistics
Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy

Description: This project proposes a sociolinguistic ethnographic analysis of the activation trajectories in which migrant job seekers are inserted in Flemish Belgium. The analysis aims at acquiring insight in the role of language in the different stages of these trajectories, focusing on the relation between small-scale interactional practices, policy requirements and public macro-discourses on integration, linguistic diversity and work.
Promoter(s): Sarah Van Hoof, Alfonso Del Percio
Researcher(s): Sara Nyssen
Department / Research group: MULTIPLES
Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy

Description: This PhD project comprises a linguistic ethnographic study of an abortion clinic in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. The aim is to obtain insights into the various ways multilingualism and language barriers come into play in this particular setting. In doing so, it looks at the use of (non-professional) interpreters and their performances during abortion consultations, and the use of other strategies (e.g. Google Translate, multilingual websites, linguae francae), while also taking into account institutional language policies, discourses, translation practices, and viewpoints on linguistic diversity. The project seeks to gain understanding of the discursive and interactional nature of multilingual abortion consultations, as well as to examine the various ways in which language in the clinic is connected with access to information and services.
Promoter(s): July De Wilde
Researcher(s): Ella van Hest
Faculty / Faculties: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Period of time: 2019 - 2023

Description: The project investigates aspects of multilingualism on Facebook, in particular code selection/code switching by language users of Iranian descent in a Belgium. The focus is three-fold: (i) the distributional salience of the various languages used, (ii) their functional role in the interactional architecture of social media, (iii) the connections with the construction of a diasporic space.
Promoter(s): Slembrouck Stef, De Bot Kees
Researcher(s): Elmianvari Azadeh
Department / Research group: English Studies
Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy

Description: In many countries, global mobility and migration create a more diverse society. This shift in population also reflects in schools. However, pupils have great diversity in terms of ethnicity, talents, beliefs, and language skills; we see that Flemish schools still apply a monolingual language policy. Whereby Dutch is considered to be the standard language of instruction. Many Flemish schools completely ban the home language of pupils. This study aims to look at the school's language policy dynamics and how they influence each other (micro-, meso- and macro-level). During this ethnographic research, an intervention takes place, 2 classes of a Flemish secondary school are observed, interviews are conducted with teachers, pupils, management, and language teachers throughout the different phases of the research. This research aims to investigate how teachers' perceptions, attitudes, behaviors towards multilingualism change in the classroom after they implement FML in their own classroom.
Website research project: https://research.flw.ugent.be/en/projects/multilingualism-secondary-education-flanders-dynamics-language-policy
Promoter(s): Wendelien Vantieghem , Piet Van Avermaet
Researcher(s): Maxime Van Raemdonck
Faculty / Faculties: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Period of time: 2019 - 2023

Description: Although language diversity poses short-term challenges, early multilingualism and multi-literacy come with great benefits, at least, when it is correctly supported. Currently, many language minority (LM) families are distressed about language issues and many early childhood (EC) professionals (such as parenting advisors and childcare staff) feel insecure in their approach toward LM families. This project aims to transform this societal problem by promoting early multilingualism and multi-literacy in childhood and childcare in Flanders. In the first phase of the project, large-scale data and small-scale will be collected. This will generate critical insights about the needs of LM families and competencies of EC professionals. In the second phase, this knowledge will be integrated into five valorisation applications that will address the broad field of EC professionals.
Website research project: https://research.flw.ugent.be/en/projects/pro-m-promoting-early-multilingualism-childhood-and-childcare
Promoter(s): Wendelien Vantieghem , Piet Van Avermaet
Researcher(s): Victoria Van Oss
Faculty / Faculties: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Period of time: 2018 - 2022

Description: This project aims at an evidence-based evaluation of the multilingual (in 14 languages) website of Sensoa, the Flemish expertise centre for sexual health. The website (zanzu.be) has been designed for newcomers, asylum seekers and people without residence permit and also serves as support tool for professionals in counselling and training. The project addresses three major goals: (1) evaluating the multilingual website zanzu.be; (2) evaluating its current implementation strategy and (3) formulating specific recommendations to improve the quality of the website and its implementation. Drawing from a combination of research methods (context analysis, digital survey, interviews, video-taped interaction and subsequent benchmark sessions), this project envisions an evidence-based answer to a number of research questions relating to communication about sexual health with vulnerable migrants.
Promoter(s): Katrijn Maryns, Ellen Van Praet, July De Wilde
Researcher(s): Pauline Van Daele
Department / Research group: Department of Translation, Interpreting and Communication - MULTIPLES
Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy

Description: Since the suicide attacks in Brussels in 2016, the government of the Dutch-French bilingual Brussels Capital Region decided to hire 107 additional security officers for the public transport system. While French is Brussels’ lingua franca, Dutch-French bilingualism is still formally required for security officers employed by public services. However, only 7.5% of Brussels job seekers have a good knowledge of Dutch combined with French. Therefore, a training program was set up offering job seekers the chance to learn the Dutch required. Based on participant observations, semi-structured interviews and informal conversations with teachers, organizers and candidate security officers at a Brussels training center, this project explores whether and how the investment in and the significance of language(s) in Brussels is intertwined with forms of gatekeeping, social stratification, and racialization.
Promoter(s): Sarah Van Hoof, Alfonso del Percio
Researcher(s): Sibo Kanobana
Department / Research group: Translation, Interpreting and Communication
Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy

Description: Since the COVID-19 crisis, the demand for remote interpreting in reception centres has become particularly acute. To respond to this demand, this action-research project analyses the institutional and organisational challenges of remote interpreting, and more specifically webcam interpreting in the Fedasil reception network. Based on a thorough context analysis, a pilot project is carried out in a selection of reception centres in order to develop and test an innovative method for video-remote interpreting in the reception network. The implementation of this pilot project is accompanied by the development of an (online) training module and script for video-remote interpreting for service providers in the reception network.
Promoter(s): Katrijn Maryns , July De Wilde
Researcher(s): Marie Gijsels
Faculty / Faculties: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Period of time: 2021 - 2022