Fostering motivation to belong with performative approaches to migrant language learning: Rustling in the wind

This chapter will address the issue of ‘motivation to belong’, which underlies much of the work of the Sorgente project. In order to do so, it will refer to a small-scale case study, Case Study 3 (CS3), conducted in the city of Padova in northern Italy under the auspices of the local non-government organisation, Razzismo Stop. After exploring the concepts of motivation in language learning and belonging, it will discuss the relevance of ‘motivation to belong’ to migrant language learning. It will then outline the context of CS3 and some of its findings, resulting from a qualitative analysis of practice, photographs of practice, facilitators’ notes, language portraits and an interview with the coordinator of Razzismo Stop. The chapter will focus on two features of the performative pedagogy in CS3: learners setting their own agenda; and everyone contributing to achieving a common goal. It will conclude with a reflection on the implications of the study: it will be argued that motivating learners to belong to the classroom, seen as a community and part of the community, hinges on teachers’ igniting their curiosity, providing opportunities for active participation and listening attentively to their needs and desires.