Congolese women speak: languaging, translanguaging and discursive cross-culturing as resources for empowerment

摘要

This article presents a writing project undertaken by the author with a small group of French-speaking Congolese women asylum seekers in Manchester, UK. The women wrote stories and poems about their country of origin; a multilingual booklet of their writings was published; and the women did a public performance of their writings. The article studies the project through the prism of languaging (in particular the relationship of discursive interactions with the environment), translanguaging (the use of multiple languages), and discursive cross-culturing (cultural comparisons taking place during interactions). It is found that these three discursive processes served to enhance well-being and empowerment of the women.Cet article presente un atelier d'ecriture anime par l'auteur ou participait un petit groupe de demandeuses d'asile congolaises a Manchester, UK. Elles ont ecrit des textes a propos de leur pays d'origine ; un livret multilingue de leurs ecrits a ete publie ; et les congolaises ont presente leurs ecrits en public. L'article etudie ce projet a travers le prisme du 'languaging' (en particulier le rapport des interactions discursives a l'environnement), du 'translanguaging' (l'emploi de multiples langues), et du 'discursive cross-culturing' (la comparaison de cultures entre interlocuteurs). L'article conclut que ces trois processus discursifs ont servi a promouvoir le bien-etre et le sentiment de pouvoir des congolaises.