About
Background and aims
Growing up multilingual with a heritage language background brings with it complex links to identity and belonging. This research project, funded by the Chinese Heritage Language and Culture Fund, provides the opportunity to shine a lens on the attitudes, thoughts, and dreams of young people growing up with Chinese heritage. The project works with a group of 11-16-year-old co-researchers in Sheffield to work on two strands (one global, one local), jointly exploring the research questions:
How do young people from Chinese heritage backgrounds construct their identity?
How do young people from Chinese heritage backgrounds choose to use their various languages to express and articulate this identity?
What are the emotional and pragmatic opportunities and barriers young people from Chinese heritage backgrounds face?
The project makes a vital contribution to the field of participatory and co-produced research, enabling young people to actively shape research into their lives. This website will provide regular updates on the project as it takes shape.
Meet the Team
Dr Sabine Little
Principal Investigator
I am a senior lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Sheffield, with work focusing on multilingualism, identity, and belonging, I am especially interested in the lives of children growing up multilingually, and how family, formal education contexts, and society contribute to children's identity development. I am keen to work with children as co-researchers, to ensure my research asks the right questions. For a list of publications, see here.
Yue Zhou
Research Associate
I am Yue, a Research Associate at the University of Sheffield. I am interested in the issues of learner wellbeing, identity, and heritage language education in the transnational migration context. My work involves closely collaborating with Chinese heritage language children, families, and schools in the UK. During my PhD project, I explored the wellbeing experiences of heritage language children, with the aim of fostering a positive, connected, and meaningful language development and growing up journey. Now, as part of this project, I am excited to work with young co-researchers, delving into their lived experiences and exploring how their multiple identities are performed, negotiated, and (re)defined vis- à-vis multilingual practices. Together, we endeavour to identify the unique barriers and resources that shape their multilingual upbringing and establish a supportive, inclusive environment that empowers these young individuals to thrive.
Our co-researchers
Haochen
Cristal
Leo
Sheeryn
Charize
Sophie
Joy