ABSTRACT
The level of complexity of a migrated life is high and includes a multitude of meanings and practices. Transculturation and translanguaging are processes that naturally occur in behaviour and cognition in intercultural encounters and multilingual contexts. This paper reflects on cultural processes in migration through the prism of second modernity. The main focus of this paper is on Polish migrants in the United Kingdom while the examples and evidence for the analysis originate from a doctoral study Translating Cultures, Adapting Lives (TCAL). While Polish and British cultures share roots and many migrants speak English, ethnicities, customs and traditions differ to varying degrees, not excluding regional differences of individuals’ places of origin. Communication in terms of language may also prove more challenging than expected. The interplay of identities, cultures and languages in migration projects can have a high degree of subjectivity. Therefore, the paper concludes that second modernity and fluidity provide a useful framework for the exploration of transculturation and translanguaging in migration projects.
