Communities of practice and adolescent speakers in the Basque Country. Research and transformation face-to-face

Abstract

In recent years, the relevant data has revealed continuous growth in knowledge of Basque. Formal education has played a significant role in this advance, in which young speakers have been front and centre. Yet the levels of Basque-use, especially in regard to informal and relationship contexts, have not mirrored this increase. Expanding our understanding of this phenomenon is an urgent priority at present. But not the only one. One such concern focuses not only on accessing data and describing the situation, but also on creating understanding from within, by means of young people themselves. Specifically, this paper attempts to go more deeply into the topic via such approaches and reflect on the possibilities that the concept of ‘community of practice’ (CofP) offers in this regard. An idea that, as demonstrated in the ‘D ereduko kirola’ project, allows for a research model along the lines of what J. Katherine Gibson-Graham (2008) terms a ‘performative ontological project’. The present work seeks to document the process that led us from analyzing different CofPs to conceiving them as safe spaces in which young people could try out modifications in their linguistic practices at different levels.