Embodied Multilingualism: Language Portraits of Filipino Heritage Speakers in Italy

Abstract

This paper examines embodied multilingualism among Filipino heritage speakers in Italy using language portraits and sociolinguistic interviews. Comparing heritage second-generation speakers to first-generation and homeland speakers, it explores how individuals perceive and represent the languages in their repertoires and how these representations may change across generation in a diaspora context. The study draws on data from 40 participants and combines qualitative analysis of visual and verbal data with quantitative coding of language placement on the body silhouette. The findings reveal clear generational differences in embodied language representations. Homeland and first-generation speakers consistently place Tagalog/Filipino in the upper body (head, chest, arms), reflecting strong emotional ties and identity affiliation with this language. Heritage speakers show more heterogeneous patterns, often positioning Tagalog in lower or peripheral body areas, while Italian occupies the head or chest as the dominant language of cognition and daily life. Statistical analysis indicates that self-perceived competence is the strongest predictor of language placement, outweighing explicit attitudes and self-declared identity. The study highlights the value of language portraits for capturing the lived, affective, and embodied dimensions of multilingual experience in long-established diasporic communities.