The research project DIMUL (Doing Identity in and through Multilingual Literacy Practices) focuses multilingual preadolescents' languaging and literacy in different contexts; at school, in their spare time and in the virtual world.

Project DIMUL, Doing Identity in and through Multilingual Literacy Practices, focuses issues related to language, literacy and learning – with interest in so-called identity work among young people. One of the central concerns for the research project is the paucity of empirically grounded knowledge in terms of a number of issues related to language and literacy development and learning among bi- and multilingual young people in global, European and, in particular, Swedish settings.

The project’s theoretical framework is based on sociocultural and poststructural perspectives. It has also connections to research conducted within the fields of communication and identity broadly. Consequently, project DIMUL is interested in mapping the kinds of literacy practices and languaging young people are engaged in both in and outside what is labeled as bilingual school settings, as well as identifying what kinds of social positions they highlight and orient towards in the course of their everyday lives. Furthermore, the project contributes to the (in the Swedish context) rather limited body of research that deals with the so-called “forgotten” middle school years (ages 9-12) as well as provides insights concerning a large, yet sparsely documented minority group in Sweden (ie. the Sweden Finns). The local framework with regard to the project consists of a group of preadolescents attending a school, situated in Sweden, that has an official bilingual/bicultural profile.

The empirical focus in Project DIMUL is on ethnographically created data from both in and out of school settings, including video recordings, teaching materials, curriculum, syllabi and policy documents, photographies as well as documentation of virtual interaction in social media. Through analyses of these the project aims to map issues regarding languaging, literacy and learning in everyday practices where these young people are members. The research done within DIMUL is also an attempt to respond to the increasing diversity and rapid changes in society regarding literacy practices, learning and language use.

Project DIMUL is ongoing until 2016 and its members are:

1) Annaliina Gynne, doctoral candidate in Didactics/Education, School of Education, Culture and Communication, Mälardalen University;

2) Sangeeta Bagga-Gupta, Professor in Education and Didactics, School of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, Örebro University & Research Leader, Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Örebro University Hospital;

3) Pirjo Lahdenperä, Professor in Education, School of Education, Cultura and Communication, Mälardalen University;

4) Jarmo Lainio, Professor in Finnish, Department of Baltic languages, Finnish and German, Stockholm University & Visiting Professor at School of Education, Culture and Communication, Mälardalen University;

(2009-2014) Marja-Terttu Tryggvason, Senior Lecturer in Education, School of Education, Culture and Communication, Mälardalen University.

Project DIMUL publications and conference papers:

Gynne, Annaliina (2017). ”Janne X was here”. Portraying identities and negotiating being and belonging in informal literacy practices. In Bagga-Gupta, S., Lyngvær Hansen, A, & Feilberg, J. (eds.) Identity revisited and reimagined – Empirical and Theoretical Contributions on Embodied Communication Across Time and Space. Springer Nature.

Gynne, Annaliina (2016). Languaging and social positioning in multilingual school practices. Studies of Sweden Finnish middle school years. Mälardalen University Doctoral Dissertation 205. Västerås: Mälardalen University.

Gynne, Annaliina, Bagga-Gupta, Sangeeta & Jarmo Lainio (2016). Practiced linguistic-cultural ideologies and educational policies. A case study of a “bilingual Sweden Finnish School”. Journal of Language, Identity and Education 15 (6), 329-343.

Gynne, Annaliina & Bagga-Gupta, Sangeeta (2015). Languaging in the twenty-first century: exploring varieties and modalities in literacies inside and outside learning spaces. Language and Education 29 (6), 509-526.

Gynne, Annaliina & Bagga-Gupta, Sangeeta (2014). Young people's languaging inside and outside learning spaces in global settings. Rethinking bilingualism and multimodality. AILA (International Applied Linguistics Association) World Congress "One World – Many Languages" – Paper presentation in the panel "Researching Literacy Practices – Transitions". Organizers Giulia Messina Dahlberg & Ylva Lindberg. 10-15 August 2014. Brisbane, Australia.

Bagga-Gupta S., G.Messina Dahlberg & A. Gynne (2014). Communicative hybridity and technologies in use. Socialization across the boundaries of time-space. Paper presentation at CuLT (Cultural practices, Literacies and Technologies) symposium. Örebro University, Sweden. March 3-4, 2014.

Gynne, Annaliina & Bagga-Gupta, Sangeeta (2013). Young people’s languaging and social positioning. Chaining in “bilingual” educational settings in Sweden. Linguistics and Education 24 (4), 479-496.

Gynne, A., Bagga-Gupta, S., & Lainio, J. (2013). Linguistic-cultural ideologies and language policies in bilingual education. Case: A bilingual Sweden Finnish school.* Paper presentation at MeMARY workshop - Methods, Materials and Analyses for Research on Multilingual Youth and adults - qualitative perspectives. Stockholm University, Sweden. November 25-26, 2013.

Gynne, A. & Bagga-Gupta S. (2013): “Young people’s languaging and identity positioning. Chaining in ‘bilingual’ educational settings in Sweden”. Linguistics & Education 24: 479-496.

Gynne, A. Young people's languaging and social positioning. "Identity work" in a Sweden Finnish school and in virtual spaces. Paper presentation at REID symposium -Revisiting Identity: Embodied communication across time and space. Örebro University, Sweden. October 22-24, 2013.

Gynne, A. Writing oneself to being - Multilingual young people's social practices in social network media. Conference presentation at "Language and Superdiversity". Jyväskylä University, Finland. June 5-7, 2013.

Gynne, A. & Bagga-Gupta S. (2011) “Young people’s language usage and identity positioning inside and outside a Sweden Finnish Bilingual Educational setting. Explorations from a pilot study”. Paperpresentation at NERA/NFPF:s 39th Congress "Rights and education". Jyväskylä University, Finland. March 10 – 12, 2011.