English has Always Been Present: Transnational Youths Illustrating Language Dynamics in Zacatecas, Mexico

Abstract

This paper aims at describing the impact of transnationalism on the reconfiguration of linguisticrepertoires of transnational people and how this is manifested in their discursive practices, their residing communities, and the geographical places they connect. Narratives from three participants are analyzed from the perspective of translanguaging theory (Wei, 2011, 2018b), which allows to capture moments of language creativity and criticality that are then linked to the transnational dimension of the participants, exemplifying how these elements interact with each other. Through participants’ flexible languaging and metalinguistic commentaries manifested in various domains of their daily lives, their creativity and criticality emerge as natural and significant features of their routine and bilingualism.