Authors

Lenka Kast¹;  ¹ UCL School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies/IOE, UK

Discussion

My project investigates the self-perceptions of Slovak migrants in the UK in relation to their sense of belonging and negotiated identities, and the central role language plays in these processes.

First, I focus on the spectrum of past, present and future motivations which have informed Slovak migrants’ mobility. I look at the adaptation processes and practices as well as how they have negotiated their identities in the new socio-cultural environment. Whether their mobility is ‘upward’ or ‘downward’ in society, and whether it is perceived as one or the other by the migrants, is crucial to their sense of self-worth and identity.  

Second, I also explore the concept of belonging. Deconstructing this concept is core to my research as it points to migrants’ maintenance of links with traditions they perceive as ‘Slovak’, and the values associated with these practices. Furthermore, I explore ways in which individuals experience the transition from traditional / conservative Slovak society to the multicultural and multilingual space of Britain. 
Finally, I examine the vital role of language; migrants’ knowledge of English and their willingness to learn it; and their attitudes towards maintaining Slovak. I analyse language and its functions in their new life: how and why users switch and mix codes, and play with words in conversation —e.g. through ‘translating’ typically Slovak expressions—but also how they express emotions and reinterpret metaphors.