Exploring the trajectories of Slovak migrants in the UK: Towards a linguistic ethnography of negotiated identities

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My PhD project will investigate the self-perceptions of Slovak migrants in the UK in relation to their initial motivations for relocation, and the central role language plays in reshaping their identities.First, I shall look at the spectrum of past, present and future motivations which have informed Slovak migrants' mobility. I will analyse factors contributing to the arrival of both pre- and post- 2004 Slovak migrants in London to determine whether there is a correlation between educational backgrounds and levels of social and vocational integration, on the one hand, and whether integration is enhanced by migrants' resourcefulness and aspirations, on the other. I will also discuss the ramifications of their leaving the UK and returning to Slovakia. Closely linked to Slovak migrants' motivations is the negotiation of their identities in the new socio-cultural environment. Whether their mobility is 'upward' or 'downward' in society, and whether it is perceived as one or the other by the migrants, is crucial to their sense of self-worth and identity. Second, I shall also explore the process of 'acculturation'. Deconstructing this concept will be core to my research as I collect data on migrants' maintenance of links with traditions they perceive as 'Slovak', and the values associated with these practices. Furthermore, I shall explore ways in which individuals experience the transition from traditional / conservative Slovak society to the multicultural and multilingual space of Britain. Finally, I shall examine the vital role of language; migrants' knowledge of English and their willingness to learn it; and their attitudes towards maintaining Slovak. I will analyse language and its functions in their new life: how and why users switch and mix codes, and play with words in conversation and social media-e.g. through 'translating' typically Slovak expressions-but also how they express sarcasm, make hints, and reinterpret metaphors.