Featured Study · M.A. Thesis
Translanguaging practices among Nigerian influencers with varied English language backgrounds on social media
Aluko, W. (2026). M.A. thesis, University of Northern Iowa.
Abstract
Translanguaging research in Nigeria has focused mostly on formal educational settings, leaving unregulated digital spaces underexplored. This study examines how Nigerian influencers on TikTok and Instagram strategically deploy their full linguistic repertoires. A corpus of 120 public video posts from six influencers was analyzed with a two-tiered framework combining Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-phase thematic analysis and Fairclough's (2001) three-dimensional critical discourse analysis.
Five themes emerged: translanguaging as a tool for power, social positioning, and professional authority; identity construction and cultural expression; relatability and comedic authenticity; community voice and grassroots authority; and the construction of transnational and diaspora identities. The findings offer insights for language educators, content creators, and brand strategists working with multilingual communication in digital economies.
Keywords
- translanguaging
- critical discourse analysis
- Nigerian social media influencers
- TikTok
- identity construction
- Nigerian Pidgin
- Yoruba
- standardized English