Practicing Multilingual Identities: Online Interactions in a Korean Dramas Forum

Abstract

This article presents the language practices of global youth who populate an online discussion forum devoted to Korea-produced dramas. Qualitative data included the writing, visual images, and interactions created within the forum. Findings revealed youth from geographically disparate places using new media affordances to engage with a minority world language and to practice multilingual identities. Using sociocultural theories of English language learning, Korean language learning, and multilingualism, the article presents online interest-driven interactions as supportive of hybridized linguistic and cultural identities. The author argues the potential for youth engagement in new media spaces to disrupt English’s symbolic dominance and facilitate an affinity for multilingualism. The article concludes by advocating multilingualism as a 21st-century mode of communication and identity expression for global youth—regardless of their ethnoracial heritage.