WeChat as translanguaging space: exploring language practices of international students on online platform
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Wang, Xiao-Yi [1] ; Chen, Jing [1]
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[1] Southwest University
Southwest University
China
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- Localización: Journal of multilingual and multicultural development, ISSN 0143-4632, Vol. 47, Nº. 5, 2026, págs. 3190-3211
- Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
This research examines the translanguaging practices of international students on WeChat, one popular message-passing platform in China, and analyses the representational meanings inherent in these practices. Employing a netnographic methodology, we gathered WeChat Moments screenshots from five international students and performed follow-up interviews to elucidate the contextual meanings and indexicalities of their varied semiotic resources. Based on the data collected, we employ translanguaging as a theoretical framework and use discourse analysis to examine the content of these posts. It is found that translanguaging is frequently used by these international students during their international sojourn. These practices are evident in the use of creative language, negotiation of identity, mediation of culture, and expression of intertextuality. The students construct translanguaging spaces that are shaped by their intended audience on WeChat. This study enhances our comprehension of translanguaging as a multifaceted sociolinguistic phenomenon that functions at the convergence of digital communication, cultural exchange, and transnational identity development within progressively globalised educational settings.
