Rafael Lomeu Gomes

Postdoctoral Fellow affiliate

I am a guest researcher at MultiLing—Center for Multilingualism in Society across the Lifespan, University of Oslo and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. Prior to this, I worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at MultiLing (2020-2023), where I also studied and received my PhD in Sociolinguistics (University of Oslo, 2020).

My research has encompassed three main areas of interest: (i) family multilingualism, (ii) media discourses and digitally-mediated communication, and (iii) decoloniality and Southern epistemologies. Pursuing these areas of interest has resulted in high-impact publications based on original research in peer-reviewed, international academic outlets, both as a single author and in collaboration with other scholars (e.g. Multilingual Margins, Multilingua, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, and International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism).

(i) Family multilingualism
In my PhD project (University of Oslo, 2016–2019, supervised by Professor Pia Lane, Professor Elizabeth Lanza, and Professor Alastair Pennycook), I analysed the extent to which language practices in everyday interactions in the home of Brazilian-Norwegian families living in Norway were informed by broader language ideologies.

(ii) Media discourses and digitally-mediated communication
In my ongoing postdoctoral project (University of Oslo, 2020–), “Speech styles of young adults in urban spaces in Norway: Continuities and disruptions”, I investigate (i) Norwegian print media representations of youth with immigrant background and their linguistic practices and (ii) the interconnections between the digitally-mediated communication practices of young adults in Oslo and broader social, cultural, economic, and political processes associated with globalisation. Results of part (i) indicate that “kebabnorsk”—a term commonly used to describe the speech styles of urban youths in Norway—is oftentimes mobilised in media debates to discursively construct an axis of differentiation (i.e. us vs. them) where “us” is a category that encompasses “ethnic Norwegians” who uphold Western values and speak standard Norwegian, whilst “them” describes those who have ethnic minoritised backgrounds, uphold non-Western values, and speak “kebabnorsk”.

(iii) Decoloniality and Southern epistemologies
In 2018, I was one of the founding members of the “Global Virtual Forum: Decoloniality and Southern Epistemologies”. Since 2020, this initiative has received institutional support from the African Studies Program at the Pennsylvania State University (United States), and it has been led by Prof. Sinfree Makoni in collaboration with Magda Madany-Saá (PSU), Chanel Van Der Merwe (Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa), and Prof. Bassey E. Antia (University of the Western Cape, South Africa). The “Global Virtual Forum” consists of online discussions with prominent scholars in the humanities and social sciences and one of its overarching goals has been to explore the ways in which recent scholarship can help us to think about issues related to language practices, language ideologies, and multilingualism.

The over 500 registered members of the Forum are based in higher education institutions in countries such as Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Japan, Nigeria, and South Africa. The Forum sessions, held on Zoom, are video recorded. The video recordings of our discussions are uploaded to the African Studies Programme YouTube channel, which has served as a platform to disseminate research to academic communities and society in general. We have been turning the transcribed recordings into 'conversational chapters'. The first volume 'Decolonial Voices, Language and Race' was published in June 2022 (Multilingual Matters). Other volumes will be published under the newly established book series 'Global Forum on Southern Epistemologies', for which I act as a co-editor.

I have experience in designing and delivering online and in-person language-related courses (e.g. ‘Language Acquisition’, ‘Language Policy’, and ‘Multilingualism’) at BA and MA levels.

Courses taught

Media appearances

Hvordan få tospråklige barn - Interview on raising bilingual children for radio show Ekko (nrk.no) (Norwegian).

Tags: Multilingualism, Ideology, Identity, Migration, Transnationalism

Publications

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  • Makoni, Sinfree; Madany-Saá, Magda; Antia, Bassey Edem & Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2022). Decolonial Voices, Language and Race. Multilingual Matters. ISBN 9781800413481.

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  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2024). Discourses on youth language in Norwegian media.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2024). Family Multilingualism.
  • Lanza, Elizabeth & Gomes, Rafael Lomeu (2023). Decolonial and Southern Approaches to Multilingualism: An Introduction. Journal of Multilingual Theories and Practices (JMTP). ISSN 2632-4490. 4(2).
  • Svendsen, Bente Ailin; Ryen, Else; Ims, Ingunn Indrebø; Goodchild, Samantha; Lamb, Gavin Mitchell & Røyneland, Unn [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2023). Language and youth in Norway – practices, spaces and representations.
  • Lanza, Elizabeth; Judith, Purkarthofer; Lexander, Kristin Vold; Objoska, Maria & Gomes, Rafael Lomeu (2023). Family matters - Northern and Southern perspectives.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2023). Decolonising multilingualism: Language teaching and learning at the home-school intersection.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Opsahl, Toril & Røyneland, Unn (2023). Stemmer som ikke stemmer: forventninger til språk og kropp.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2023). Multilinguismo Familiar a partir de uma Perspectiva do Sul.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2023). Enacting and negotiating family roles in multilingual interactions: Insights from an ethnographic perspective.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Opsahl, Toril & Røyneland, Unn (2023). Imitation game? Karnevalesk humor i media-representasjoner av (andrespråkspreget) norsk.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2022). Hierarchies of language practices in Norwegian print media: Is kebabnorsk good enough?
  • Diepeveen, Aafke; Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Goodchild, Samantha; Ims, Ingunn Indrebø; Johnsen, Ragni Vik & Sollid, Hilde [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Language, Globalisation and the Nation. The workshop series from a Norwegian perspective .
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Goodchild, Samantha; Ims, Ingunn Indrebø; Johnsen, Ragni Vik; Sollid, Hilde & Svendsen, Bente Ailin (2022). Sociolinguistic change in Norway - from unity («felleskulturen» eller «enhetskulturen”) to linguistic and cultural pluralism?
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2022). Tecnologias digitais em investigações acerca de multilinguismo familiar: oportunidades e desafios metodológicos.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2022). Intercultural translation in ethnographic encounters.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2022). Positionality, power, and voice in research with multilingual families.
  • Makoni, Sinfree; Madany-Saá, Magda; Antia, Bassey Edem & Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2022). Introduction, Decolonial Voices, Language and Race. Multilingual Matters. ISSN 9781800413481. p. 1–13.
  • Opsahl, Toril; Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Goodchild, Samantha; Ims, Ingunn Indrebø; Lamb, Gavin Mitchell & Røyneland, Unn [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2022). (Re)producing stereotypes in media representations of contemporary urban vernaculars.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael & Svendsen, Bente Ailin (2022). Minoritised youth language in Norwegian media discourse: Surfacing the abyssal line.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2021). ‘Eu Sou Criancinha Feliz fra Mamma’: Affect and Multilingualism in Forging Family Ties.
  • Makoni, Sinfree; Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Antia, Bassey Edem; Madany-Saá, Magda & van der Merwe, Chanel (2021). African Studies Forum on Decoloniality and Southern Epistemologies: Maria Paula Meneses.
  • Makoni, Sinfree; Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Antia, Bassey Edem; Madany-Saá, Magda & van der Merwe, Chanel (2021). African Studies Forum on Decoloniality and Southern Epistemologies: Susan Gal and Judith Irvine.
  • Makoni, Sinfree; Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Antia, Bassey Edem; Madany-Saá, Magda & van der Merwe, Chanel (2021). African Studies Forum on Decoloniality and Southern Epistemologies: Teresa McCarty.
  • Makoni, Sinfree; Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Antia, Bassey Edem; Madany-Saá, Magda & van der Merwe, Chanel (2021). African Studies Forum on Decoloniality and Southern Epistemologies: Mary Hermes, Mel Engman, Aila O'Loughlin and Anna Schick.
  • Makoni, Sinfree; Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Madany-Saá, Magda; Antia, Bassey Edem & van der Merwe, Chanel (2021). African Studies Forum on Decoloniality and Southern Epistemologies: Gurminder Bhambra.
  • Makoni, Sinfree; Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Antia, Bassey Edem; Madany-Saá, Magda & van der Merwe, Chanel (2021). African Studies Forum on Decoloniality and Southern Epistemologies: Bernard Spolsky.
  • Makoni, Sinfree; Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Antia, Bassey Edem; Madany-Saá, Magda & van der Merwe, Chanel (2021). African Studies Forum on Decoloniality and Southern Epistemologies: John Joseph.
  • Makoni, Sinfree; Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Antia, Bassey Edem; Madany-Saá, Magda & van der Merwe, Chanel (2021). African Studies Forum on Decoloniality and Southern Epistemologies: Kenneth King.
  • Makoni, Sinfree; Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Antia, Bassey Edem; Madany-Saá, Magda & van der Merwe, Chanel (2021). African Studies Forum on Decoloniality and Southern Epistemologies: Eduardo Kohn and Elizabeth Povinelli.
  • Makoni, Sinfree; Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Antia, Bassey Edem; Madany-Saá, Magda & van der Merwe, Chanel (2021). African Studies Global Virtual Forum on Decoloniality and Southern Epistemologies: Lewis Gordon.
  • Makoni, Sinfree; Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Antia, Bassey Edem; Madany-Saá, Magda & van der Merwe, Chanel (2021). African Studies Global Virtual Forum on Decoloniality and Southern Epistemologies: Mahmood Mamdani.
  • Makoni, Sinfree; Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Antia, Bassey Edem; Madany-Saá, Magda & van der Merwe, Chanel (2021). African Studies Global Virtual Forum on Decoloniality and Southern Epistemologies: Lynn Thomas.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2021). 'How do you say it in Portuguese?': Parent-child language negotiation in a multilingual family.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2021). Family Language Policy.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2021). ‘Du må leke Norge på pappa’: Language and identity negotiation in a Brazilian-Norwegian family.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael; Lanza, Elizabeth & Athari, Zahir (2021). Nanny State? Integration, kinship and identity among refugee and asylum-seeking unaccompanied minors.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2020). (Super)diversidade, Migração e Colonialidade.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2020). ‘Não Danço Samba’: Multilinguismo Familiar a partir de uma Perspectiva Decolonial.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2020). Family Multilingualism through a ‘Translingual Lens’: Current Theoretical Orientations and Challenges.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2020). Hvordan få tospråklige barn. [Radio]. https://radio.nrk.no/serie/ekko/sesong/202002/MDFP02003420.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2019). Translanguaging families into being: Parental language ideologies, use, and negotiation in a Brazilian-Norwegian family in Norway.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2018). Family language policy ten years on: A critical approach to family multilingualism.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2018). Family Multilingualism through a Southern Perspective: (Self)Positioning of Brazilian Parents in Intercultural Encounters in Norway​.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2018). Family Multilingualism through a Southern Perspective: (Self)Positioning of Brazilian Parents in Intercultural Encounters in Norway.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2018). Language practices of Brazilian families in Norway: a southern perspective.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2018). Language practices of Brazilian families in Norway: a southern perspective.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2017). Language attitudes of Brazilians in Brazil and in the UK: comparing quantitative and qualitative approaches.
  • Lomeu Gomes, Rafael (2019). Family multilingualism: Language practices and ideologies of Brazilian-Norwegian families in Norway. 07 Gruppen.

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Published Dec. 21, 2016 11:53 AM - Last modified Jan. 29, 2024 2:47 PM

Projects