1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The main goal for the current study [is] to look into how adults experienced their identity through time after having experienced trauma and abuse in childhood in multilingual settings.» (p. 34)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
The sample is composed of six individuals aged 18 and over, living in Montreal and coming «[f]rom a One Parent, One Language (OPOL) family, where each caregiver consistently spoke in a different language [...]. [The participants had a] history of traumatic experiences with a parent or main caregiver who spoke predominantly one of the two languages spoken in the OPOL home[.]» (p. 39)

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien semi-directif

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

«According to the results […], there are more ways in which childhood trauma seems to have an effect on multilingual identity. One surprising connection came when several people compared their relationship to language being like a relationship with a person. They compared how they felt about their languages to the way they would feel with another human being. [If] the participants feel they have a relationship with language similar to the one they would have with a person; could attachment theory be applied to individuals in regards to their rapport with language as well in regards to the relationship with their caregivers? As we expect love and attention from our caretakers, such as our parents, guardians, so on, the amount of love and attention we received when we are children determines how we will be in our future relationships. If those who have experienced trauma in one language relate to their language identity the same way as they do with their caregiver or community who spoke that language, could it be that attachment theory can be applied to feelings of language identity itself? According to the interviews with this study’s participants, there may very well be a relationship, a bridge between language and psychology that may help guide our parenting practices and develop better clinical interventions.» (p. 75)