To explore identity, communication, and contextualised language learning for teenagers in multilingual regions, Istria stands out. This Adriatic peninsula, divided among Slovenia, Croatia, and Italy, showcases a blend of Slavic and Romance languages and dialects, fostering everyday multilingual communication.

In a two-year qualitative study with 85 pupils (11 to 14 years old) from 5 classes, 10 teachers (for the neighbouring languages, but also for history, art and civics) and 3 school headmasters from these countries, united by their participation in a project aimed at learning the language and culture of the neighbouring country through continuous and methodical contact, the perceptions and desires for reunion and getting to know each other, for learning the other language among the pupils and possible solutions for language teaching among the teachers were investigated.

The study challenges the idea that learning neighbouring languages happens out of necessity and proposes a freer approach to language teaching in multilingual border regions. It sheds an interesting light on the relationship between language learners, motivations, the role of geographical proximity of the language learnt and typical aspirations of young people in the globalised world and indicates the need or rather the possibility of a linguistic education more informed by theories of cross-linguistic awareness.

The theoretical framework includes theories of social sciences and language learning such as Gardner and his concept of Integrativeness, Dörnyei, his Ideal Self, but also interethnic friendship - Pettigrew, Allport - in a study that aims to improve language teaching provision in multilingual European border regions in the context of socio-constructivist learning theories and crosslanguage awareness.