Name and Surname
Anxhela Lepuri
Affiliation
University of Tirana, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Contact email
anxhela.lepuri@fhf.edu.al
Short Biography
Anxhela Lepuri is a lecturer at the Department of Albanian Language, University of Tirana, and a doctoral researcher in Albanology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Her work explores the intersections of language, culture, and identity in Albanian-speaking communities, with a focus on sociolinguistic dynamics, heritage language maintenance, youth linguistic practices, and translation as intercultural mediation. She has participated in several international research and mobility programs, including at the Universities of Poitiers, Thessaloniki, Siena, Torino, and Ca’ Foscari Venice, and has presented her work in numerous conferences in Europe. Anxhela has authored and co-authored studies on multilingualism, language ideology, and literary reception, and has translated major Italian authors into Albanian.
Research abstract
This research explores how young people in the Municipality of Prishtina use conceptual metaphors to articulate their understanding of democracy, the EU integration process, and their imagined social and political future. By examining metaphorical expressions in youth discourse, the study seeks to reveal how figurative language reflects emotions such as hope, disappointment, and resistance, as well as how it shapes young people’s perceptions of institutions and society. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the project combines semi-structured interviews with an online questionnaire to gather both in-depth and broader data from participants aged 18–25. The analysis follows Conceptual Metaphor Theory to identify and classify metaphorical patterns and interpret their political and cultural meanings. The study is expected to uncover dominant conceptual metaphors that illuminate how youth imagine democracy and their collective future, highlighting variations across social and educational backgrounds. Beyond its linguistic contribution, the project offers a valuable perspective for understanding youth political imagination in Kosovo, providing insights that can inform more inclusive institutional practices and youth-centered policymaking.