This chapter, “A Bridge Collapsed,” uses a fallen bridge metaphor to analyze how crises disrupt the interconnectedness of identity and language for migrants, focusing on an Iranian PhD student in Madrid. Grounded in Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) and acculturation frameworks, the study uses narrative inquiry to investigate how linguistic integration evolves under the dual pressures of migration and homeland crisis. The research reveals three identity phases: initial dislocation, the formation of a hybrid identity, and the reassertion of an original national identity. Findings show that language learning is deeply relational; personal relationships catalyze immersion, while crises reinforce ancestral attachments. The chapter challenges assimilationist models by translating this experience into pedagogical insight, underscoring the power of biographical narratives for fostering empathy and pluricultural competence in language education, and illuminating how the reconstruction of self during crisis generates transformative understandings of belonging and communication.
Elhami, A. & Roshan, A. (2026). A Bridge Collapse: Identity and Language in the Face of Crisis. In A. Elhami & A. Roshan (Eds.), Exploring Identity Formation in Language Education: Personal Narratives and Educational Research (pp. 35-54). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-5423-1.ch002