Negotiating cultural identity in the trans-digital space: a multi-scalar analysis of translingual ELF users’ intercultural communication

Abstract

This article explores the dynamic and interconnected practices of translingual and transcultural communication among users of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) within the emerging concept of the trans-digital space. This space blurs the boundaries between online and offline communication, where multiple intersecting scales, ranging from national and global to digital and physical, shape the negotiation of cultural identities. Using a multi-scalar analysis, the study examines how Algerian international students at a UK university employ a diverse range of linguistic, multimodal, and cultural resources to navigate these scales and construct their cultural identities. Through ethnographic methods, the research highlights the fluid and multilayered nature of cultural identity construction, as ELF users integrate various communicative practices across overlapping scales. It aligns with post-structuralist approaches by framing scales not as fixed endpoints but as dynamic, emergent phenomena, suggesting the need for further exploration into the role of language, culture, and technology in contemporary communication. This study offers new insights into the evolving landscape of intercultural communication in the digital age, contributing to broader discussions on the ongoing negotiation of cultural identities within fluid, multi-scalar environments.

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