Introduction: The changing faces of transnational communities in Britain

In this editorial introduction, we outline the key conceptualisations and
overarching questions of this collection of studies on the changing faces of the
transnational communities in Britain. Using the nexus of migration and language
as our critical lens, we examine the internal diversities within the transnational
communities in Britain, evident in the emergence of groups differing on migration
trajectories, social and educational backgrounds, linguistic repertories and status
assigned to community languages. We also explore how language shapes, and is
shaped by, these internal diversities and wider socio-cultural-political dynamics
and pay particular attention to the multilingual and translanguaging practices in
these communities. We demonstrate how these communities function as sites for
contestation of language and identity that can be conflictual as well as a source of
othering. The introduction concludes with an outline of the contributions made by
the studies in this special issue, highlighting the key claims put forward by the
contributors.