Situated in the wider framework of an ethnographic research project on multilingualism in preschools in the officially trilingual region of South Tyrol (Italy), this paper focuses on the role of language(s) and multilingualism in field relations. Theoretically, it combines critical educational and sociolinguistic theories on language and power. In these theories, language is understood as “ideology and practice” (Heller 2007), and as a socially and institutionally situated practice which can (re)produce, negotiate, shift or irritate powerful relations between speakers. Methodologically, it consistently links ethnographic and sociolinguistic approaches (Blackledge/Creese 2010; Tusting 2020). In South Tyrol, there are three separate educational systems, each with one of the officially recognized languages (Italian, German, Ladin) as main language of instruction. It has been shown that educational spaces set up for the protection of a recognized linguistic minority have to strike a balance between the protection of the minority group by which they are legitimated, and the need for inclusive and equitable education for all, including speakers of the majority language and speakers of languages of migration (Heller 2011: 12). In South Tyrol, the presence of differently linguistically minoritized individuals and groups leads to a “hierarchization of educational rights of minorities” (Thoma 2022), which also plays a role in ethnographic research in general and for field relations more specifically. Not least for this reason, South Tyrol is a particularly interesting site to study how language becomes relevant both in the educational system and in ethnographic research. Since field relations, especially in multilingual migration societies, are strongly framed by language ideologies and language policies, it is crucial to understand the connections between different language policies and the language ideologies behind them. The paper combines fieldnotes and transcripts of interviews to reconstruct how language policies and ideologies impact field relations and how they are (re)produced, negotiated, or irritated in interactions. Special attention will be paid to the linguistic repertoires and language choices of the researchers (Gallego-Balsà 2020) and how they are relevant to reveal power in field relations.

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