Poetic representations of migration narratives: A process of writing nearby

Abstract

This article proposes an alternative and reflexive practice for representing migration narratives, referred to as a process of writing nearby. It is informed by ethnography of communication and performance‐based theory (i.e. ethnopoetics and poetic inquiry) and provides a theoretically grounded approach, using mimetic configuration, so as to challenge more conventional methods of ethnographical writing. The outcome is presented in the form of poetic narrative suites; the example included here is based on data from a longitudinal linguistic ethnography. The article argues for the use of poetics as a way of calling for the activation of the reader's imagination, represent multisensorial experiences, illuminate linguistic resourcefulness and illustrate alternative models of speakerhood. Thus, it contributes to the developing field of arts‐based research in sociolinguistics by critically engaging with the notion of voice, and by outlining a creative method for handling the limitations of textual representation.

Metaphor in education

“…An interest in metaphor from a multilingual perspective is thus relevant, along with the great increase in research on language in education, second language learning and multilingualism in society in general. In the Scandinavian countries, research related to metaphors and multilingualism has had different starting points and aims, such as research on comprehension (Golden, 2005(Golden, , 2010Golden & Larsen, 2005;Prentice, 2010) conceptualization (Golden & Lanza, 2013), reflections and creativity (Ahlgren, 2014(Ahlgren, , 2020(Ahlgren, , 2021, school books (Askeland, 2008;Golden, 2005), teaching (Strzelecka & Vogel, 2012), production (Golden 2012;Nacey, 2013), and interpretation (Nacey, 2020).…”

“…Their narratives revealed different views on culture, as a location that constrains (roots that are hard to move) or as an object that gives possibilities (a backpack with practical items). Ahlgren (2014Ahlgren ( , 2021 has investigated how adult migrants in Sweden use metaphors to reflect on their lived experiences of language learning and language use. The study shows that the participants are frequently using innovative metaphorical expressions to describe affective and existential experiences.…”