"Flerspråkigheten kan öppna många dörrar i min framtid" : Hur ryskspråkiga minoritetsungdomar i Estland upplever sin flerspråkighet och dess betydelse för identitet

Sammanfattning: Issues related to multilingualism and its importance to each individual and the whole society are the subject of today’s school debate. The mere fact that the aspects of multilingualism are discussed actively not only in a school environment but even in the mass media and other communities proves that multilingualism is an important and complex phenomenon in our lives. The subject that I have chosen to study into is about the importance of multilingualism for minority individuals and the conditions for their multilingualism. The aim of this research is to investigate the importance of multilingualism for identity formation among several Russian-speaking young people who were born and raised in Estonia, as well as to try to understand the factors that were relevant to these young people's multilingualism and their view on it. Six young people aged 16-19 were considered in this study. The research method is based on a life history approach. The data has been collected through interviews and correspondence. Symbolic interactionism and social constructivism have provided the theoretical framework of the study and serve as tools for the analysis and interpretation of collected data. Based on the results of my research, it can be concluded that multilingualism are of great importance for identity formation among the individuals investigated. All young people have a positive attitude towards their multilingualism and see it as an asset. They try to maintain and further develop its multilingualism with the help of their school, family and friends as well as on their own. The results of the study also show that all of the young people interviewed have developed the reflexive identity thanks to their multilingualism. Multilingualism provides the young people with an opportunity to become proficient in several cultures, thereby enriching their lives and identity. Due to their multilingualism, reflexive identity and meta-knowledge about themselves, all the young people interviewed had an opportunity to get access to different contact surfaces, and be involved in several different contexts, which can be an asset in times of globalization.