Strategies to strengthen European linguistic capital in a globalised world
The MultiLX research project will provide new knowledge about the communicative practices and language ideologies of young people in Europe. This new knowledge will be translated into recommendations for language policy to support languaging in Europe, including protection of endangered languages, learning minority languages and promotion of the languages of migrants. The project will shape the future of inclusive multilingual policy and practice in Europe.
The language ecology of Europe has been transformed in recent times. Increased mobility of people has altered the linguistic map of Europe, while rapid developments in digital technology have changed the way people communicate.
Our challenge in an increasingly diverse, digital and multilingual Europe is to develop language policy to shape a future for young people which is inclusive, democratic and equitable.
ANGELA CREESE, University of Warwick, leads Work Package 1 of the MultiLX project, examining multilingual practices of young people in Norway, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, and Italy. The research addresses language endangerment, highlights migrant languages, and informs equitable policies that foster inclusion and support preservation of linguistic identities and endangered languages across Europe’s cultural landscape.
ADRIAN BLACKLEDGE, University of Warwick, leads the Beyond Languages work package, exploring communication beyond linguistic boundaries. Collaborating with young people and artists across Europe, the team uses theatre, dance, and digital media to investigate multimodal meaning-making. The work informs language policy, challenges conventional definitions, and fosters inclusive ways for young people to express identity and share experiences.
MAITE PUIGDEVALL SERRALVO, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, leads the MultiLX case study on youth sports in Barcelona, examining how these activities foster multilingual interaction while addressing segregation and economic barriers. Collaborating with Òmnium Cultural, the team studies the linguistic practices and digital communication of young athletes and coaches to generate insights into language, identity, and belonging in Catalonia and beyond.
DR KATHARINA BRIZIĆ, Universität Freiburg, leads the German segment of the MultiLX project in Berlin, supported by a diverse team. The project unites contributors from Berlin’s vibrant multilingual community, including speakers of Kurdish, Turkish, Bosnian-Serbian-Croatian, and German, celebrating the city’s linguistic diversity while exploring young people’s multilingual experiences in various social and cultural contexts.
BERNADETTE O’ROURKE, Oilthigh Ghlaschu, leads the MultiLX study on language revitalisation in Santiago de Compostela, focusing on grassroots efforts to revive Galician. Investigates how new speakers—including teachers, parents, children, and activists—build communities that nurture the language. Using multi-sited ethnography, the project examines everyday revitalisation spaces and their impact on Galicia’s language policies.
SARI PIETIKÄINEN, Jyväskylän yliopisto, collaborates with Helen Kelly-Holmes on MultiLX, studying AI’s impact on young multilingual speakers in Europe. Focuses on minoritised languages, examining how digital tools like spell-checkers and AI (e.g., ChatGPT) affect language use, learning, and identity. Aims to ensure AI development includes diverse linguistic communities for inclusion.
HELEN KELLY-HOLMES, Ollscoil Luimnigh, leads MultiLX research on AI’s impact on young multilingual speakers in Europe, collaborating with Dr Sari Pietikäinen. Focusing on minoritised language communities, the team examines how AI tools—from spell-checkers to ChatGPT—affect users’ confidence and empowerment, emphasizing the need for diverse linguistic input to support language rights and inclusivity.
EDINA KROMPÁK, Pädagogische Hochschule Luzern, leads the Swiss case study in the MultiLX project, examining how youth in Lucerne, Geneva, Ticino, and Grisons use family languages, dialects, and official languages daily. Using participatory methods like photography and video, the team explores youth contributions to Switzerland’s linguistic diversity and cultural heritage.
PIA LANE, Universitetet i Oslo, the MultiLX case study on the vulnerable Kven language and youth in Norway. Collaborating with Kvääninuoret, the team explores how young people use platforms like Instagram for language learning and identity expression. The research highlights digital technologies’ role in supporting language revitalisation across Europe and beyond.
GERARDO MAZZAFERRO, Università di Torino, leads a project in Turin exploring how young migrants and refugees use language and creativity—through music, storytelling, and art—to shape the city’s cultural landscape. Partnering with GenerazionePonte, MOSAICO, and CODIASCO, the project empowers youth as co-creators, fostering an inclusive city that celebrates its diverse communities.
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