French Literature Reviews - 2026

Y. Yi. Reconceptualizing the Writing Practices of Multilingual Youth. Towards a Symbiotic Approach to In- and Out-of-School Writing
Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics

Reconceptualizing the Writing Practices of Multilingual Youth
Towards a Symbiotic Approach to In- and Out-of-School Writing

Youngjoo Yi

ISBN 9780367417758

Routledge

128 Pages

£44.99

OVERVIEW

Focusing on the writing practices of multilingual adolescents, this book challenges traditional boundaries between academic writing within school settings and self-initiated writing outside the formal learning environment. By reconceptualizing the very nature of adolescent multilingual writing, the author establishes it as an interdisciplinary genre and a pivotal area of inquiry for academic research and pedagogy.

Structured across six chapters, Reconceptualizing the Writing Practices of Multilingual Youth offers an in-depth examination of how multilingual youth write, viewed through the lenses of sociocultural theory and social practice. Drawing on empirical research conducted directly with young people, the book questions the conventional dichotomy between academic writing and its informal counterparts, proposing a symbiotic framework to explore and foster connections between students' in-school and out-of-school literacy practices. Emphasizing the bidirectional relationship between formal and informal writing, the author advocates for writing instruction that empowers adolescents to use writing for leisure, identity construction, creative expression, personal well-being, and civic engagement, while also preparing them to navigate future literacy forms that are currently unimaginable or unpredictable.

This much-needed volume provides researchers and graduate students with a rigorous overview and synthesis of research on adolescent multilingual writing—a vital yet underexplored field within applied linguistics, TESOL, and literacy studies.

Table of Contents:

1: An Introduction to Adolescent Multilingual Writing; 2: Conceptual Landscapes: Perspectives on Writing; 3: Adolescent Multilingual Writing Outside of School; 4: Adolescent Multilingual Writing in School; 5: Reconceptualizing the Connections of In-School and Out-of-School Literate Lives: A Symbiotic Approach; 6: Moving Toward the Reconceptualization of Adolescent Multilingual Writing

The study of multilingual literacy has increasingly moved toward understanding how students navigate diverse linguistic environments. Within the field of applied linguistics, researchers often examine the intersection of sociocultural theory and social practice to better understand how individuals develop writing skills. Reconceptualizing the Writing Practices of Multilingual Youth engages with these broader intellectual traditions by examining how adolescents utilize writing for identity construction and creative expression. The book explores the interplay between academic requirements and self-initiated projects, addressing the nature of literacy in an educational context where students balance multiple communicative demands.

The concept of a symbiotic approach reflects a growing interest in how in-school and out-of-school literacies inform one another. In pedagogical research, this perspective seeks to move beyond the traditional dichotomy that separates formal instruction from personal writing habits. By investigating how these two spheres influence each other, the author explores the potential for writing instruction to support personal well-being and civic engagement. Readers interested in the intersection of TESOL, literacy studies, and the development of multilingual writing practices may find this analysis of the bidirectional relationship between these writing domains relevant.