Researching language needs using ‘insiders’: Mediated trilingualism and other issues of power asymmetries

This paper exposes researching multilingually processes and findings from a research project investigating the provision of specialized G reek courses for immigrants from A lbania, P akistan and R omania. Linguistic mediators from the respective communities were appointed in order to facilitate qualitative research for the exploration of immigrants' needs. The research process proved to be more multilingual than what was initially planned. A mediated trilingualism emerged for the research within the communities, with the use of ‘international’ languages ( I talian, E nglish, F rench) between home languages and G reek. Faced with issues of power asymmetries, and of data translation and management, the project leader opted for an approach encouraging multilingualism and code‐switching in all its stages, from collection of data to presentation of outcomes.