# Negotiating language in family texts: case-study of transnational families in Finland

## TL;DR

This study explores how transnational families in Finland use text messaging to blend languages and maintain cultural connections.

## Contribution

The study introduces a categorization of translanguaging practices in digital family communication.

## Key findings

- Digital translingual practices help construct unique familylects in transnational families.
- Language choices in messaging serve as cues for clarity, emotional resonance, and identity.
- Text messaging becomes a space for linguistic and social negotiation among multilingual families.

## Abstract

Transnational families face complex language dynamics, particularly when adapting to new linguistic environments. This study examines text messaging practices of six bilingual Russian-Hebrew-speaking parents and their multilingual children living in Finland. Through micro-interactional approach, it investigates how digital translingual practices function as a tool in constructing unique familylects. The study categorizes translanguaging practices by form—isolated insertions, sentence-level switches, and complex multilingual constructs—and by function—local/temporal, phatic, and address terms—which serve to enhance the clarity of practical information, reinforce familial bonds, and reflect multicultural identity. This research contributes to the field of multilingual digital communication by illustrating how messaging language choices serve as contextualization cues, enhancing the overall meaning and emotional resonance of conversations. The findings reveal how transnational families adapt their communicative practices to maintain connections and cultural identity, illustrating the role of text messaging as a locus for linguistic and social negotiation.