From language learning to belonging: Negotiating transnational identities of multilingual students in Canadian EAP classrooms

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Description of Research Project

Project Description and Rationale
This proposed project investigates how multilingual students enrolled in York U’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses may construct transnational identities and sense of belonging in Canada through pedagogical practices that value linguistic diversity. Aligning with the university’s commitment to promoting internationalization and student success, our EAP courses serve as transformative learning spaces where students’ prior linguistic, cultural, and educational experiences are valued in their learning process.

While EAP instruction has traditionally emphasized linguistic accuracy and assimilation into dominant academic norms, and has marginalized students’ multilingual repertoires and transnational knowledge, this project responds to growing calls for equity-oriented and inclusive language education by employing transformative pedagogical tools to reposition students’ linguistic resources as assets rather than obstacles. The study aims to demonstrate how such practices contribute to students’ identity development, sense of belonging, and engagement in academic and intercultural learning.

Literature Review
Research on transnationalism highlights that students’ identities are fluid and shaped by ongoing connections to multiple places, languages, and communities (e.g., Li, 2019). Studies in World Englishes and translingual communications demonstrate that multilingual writers strategically draw on diverse linguistic resources to make meaning, challenging rigid norms of “standard” academic English (e.g., Canagarajah, 2020; Donahue, 2016). Recent scholarship suggests that pedagogies such as literacy autobiographies and translingual writing can surface students’ linguistic histories, promote critical language awareness, and foster linguistic justice and community belonging. However, empirical research connecting EAP pedagogy, translingual practices, and transnational identity formation, particularly in the Canadian context, remains limited. This project is intended to address this gap.

Project Design & Phases
Phase 1: Pedagogical Implementation and Classroom Data
In two EAP courses, ESL1450 Thinking about Contemporary Canada and ESL3020 World Englishes and Translingual Communication, the project will introduce literacy autobiography and translingual writing assignments grounded in translingual theory, identity-oriented literacy studies, and relevant course readings. These tasks invite students to reflect on their language learning outcomes, migration experiences, and meaning-making practices across languages and contexts. Students’ multimodal reflections will serve as primary data for analyzing how classroom pedagogy mediates identity construction and belonging.

Phase 2: Student Interviews
Student participants will be invited to participate in open-ended, semi-structured interviews exploring their experiences in EAP classrooms, perceptions of language learning, and identity negotiation within the university. Focus group interviews will enable the researcher to analyze how students’ linguistic repertoires and cultural knowledge may engage them in intercultural exchange and academic learning, and will allow students to articulate connections between their classroom experiences and broader transnational lives, providing depth and triangulation to the classroom data.

Project Outcomes
DARE opportunity for this project will support: 1) empirical evidence on how EAP classrooms function as critical zones of transnational identity formation; 2) pedagogical insights into literacy autobiography and translingual writing as equity-oriented practices, and 3) scholarly outputs (conference presentations and peer-reviewed articles) contributing to EAP and applied linguistics. Ultimately, the project reframes EAP classrooms as spaces where language learning can be promoted and translingual identities can be negotiated, advancing more equitable and responsive approaches to multilingual education.

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Undergraduate Student Responsibilities

The successful student applicant is expected to complete the following tasks:
1) Transcribe interviews from two EAP classes with the support of Otter.ai
2) Organize and file data collected for the project (including focus group interviews and students’ sample work).
3) Assist to code interview data with Dedoose (or relevant coding programs)
4) Assist to prepare research dissemination for academic conferences and publications
5) Attend research meetings and report work progress during the DARE project period
Please note that training and mentorship will be provided in all tasks (i.e., accessing to and using transcription software, training to use Dedoose, preparing research dissemination, offering support and feedback for DARE poster presentation).

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Qualifications Required

In addition to the requirements of the DARE award, applicants are expected to demonstrate interest in the project, understanding of EAP course requirements, competent multimodal skills, excellent organizational skills, and commitment to work collaboratively. Applicants from Indigenous, Black, visible minority and other equity-seeking groups are encouraged to apply.