Online Contact, Face-to-Face Contact, and Multilingualism: Young Swedish-Speaking Finns Develop Trilingual Identities. Issue 1 (1st January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vincze, László; Joyce, Nick
• Is Part Of: Communication studies. Volume 69:Issue 1(2018)
• Page Start: 85
• Page End: 102
• Publication Date: 2018-01-01
• Subjects: Face-to-Face Contact -- Multilingualism -- Online Contact -- Swedish in Finland; Communication -- Periodicals; Oratory -- Periodicals; 302.205
• DOI: 10.1080/10510974.2017.1413410
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1051-0974

Abstract

Abstract : Based on the tenets of the social context model of second language acquisition, the present article examined the combined effect of online and face-to-face contact in developing multilingual skills and identities among young Swedish-speaking Finns (N = 304). The hypotheses were tested for Finnish as a second language and English as a third language using parallel models. The results were largely identical for both languages. Specifically, online contact enhanced language confidence which, in turn, contributed to language identity. However, online contact had a more substantial effect on confidence as well as identity among those who had little face-to-face contact with speakers of the given language. Findings and their implications are discussed.