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Language Policy and Practice in Multilingual Families
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Language Policy and Practice in Multilingual Families

A special issue of Languages (ISSN 2226-471X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 14513

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Anastassia Zabrodskaja

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Baltic Film, Media and Arts School, Tallinn University, 10120 Tallinn, Estonia
Interests: intercultural communication; identity; ethnolinguistic vitality; linguistic landscape; language contacts; code-switching; translanguaging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Natalia Ringblom

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Language Studies, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
Interests: bilingualism; translanguaging; family language policy; heritage language acquisition and maintenance, with a particular focus on Russian in Sweden

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In this Special Issue, we welcome manuscripts of various types, such as articles, reviews, and conceptual papers of a disciplinary or interdisciplinary nature, that seek to contribute to the analysis of language policy and practice in multilingual families from a multidisciplinary perspective. The multilingual (resp. bilingual) family is a worldwide fact, as more and more families now use more than one language. This provokes situations in which the family is faced with the problem of maintaining a heritage language (mother tongue, home, immigrant or minority language), its transmission to the next generation, or a language attrition and shift towards a dominant (societal or majority) language. Language transmits culture and history; thus, the loss of one's heritage language can lead to the loss of inherited knowledge. As such, a conscious decision must be made by parents  to pass on language, especially as children enter adolescence and become more independent, including in their language choices (Okita 2005). Various factors influence the transmission of heritage language and culture, including: motivation (integrative and intrinsic motivation); its symbolic role; linguistic ideologies and language identity; socioeconomic status; social networks; religion; tendency towards social segregation or inclusion; language solidarity; the speaker's environment and the value of multilingualism in specific domains (family, school, community and individual); and the use of heritage language in public space and its usefulness and cultural value.

Family language policy is an established language policy used in the family, which is defined as “explicit and overt planning use of languages in relation to language use within the home and among family members” (King and Fogle 2008, p. 907).  Later, this definition was revised, defining family language policy as “in fact implicit, covert, unarticulated, fluid, and negotiated moment by moment” (King and Fogle 2017, p. 322). Bernard Spolsky (2004, 2021) links many aspects to family language policy, i.e., political, social, demographic, religious, cultural, and psychological, stressing that family language policy exists even when it is not explicitly expressed to the outside world. Research exists on how older children in the family context influence the language of younger children (Zhu 2005, Spolsky 2007, Bridges and Hoff 2014,), what happens to the heritage and societal languages when parents insist that older siblings speak only their native language with other family members (Schwartz 2010, pp.173–174), and what role grandparents play in preserving the heritage language and affirming it within the family (Luo and Wiseman 2000, Cantone 2019).

Addressing these and other issues of multilingualism in the family, this Special Issue seeks to address the problem of accommodating linguistic diversity throughout the world.

This issue seeks to promote languages as sources of meaning for knowledge, values, and identity, and focuses on the maintenance and transmission of language and culture in multilingual (minority, immigrant, transnational) contexts.

Prof. Dr. Anastassia Zabrodskaja
Dr. Natalia Ringblom
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Languages is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • family
  • identity
  • policy
  • language
  • culture
  • sociological approach
  • ethnography
  • sustainable society
  • majority
  • minority
  • transnational
  • transcultural

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 325 KiB  
Article
Polish Language Maintenance and Transmission in Finnish Diaspora: A Study of Family Dynamics and Cultural Influences
by Izabela Jakubek-Głąb
Languages 2024, 9(12), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9120374 - 10 Dec 2024
Viewed by 385
Abstract
The Polish diaspora is represented worldwide. Yet, little is known about Polish language and culture maintenance in Finland. However, the language practices of Polish families living there are worth being investigated, particularly in relation to language maintenance and transmission. This research aims to [...] Read more.
The Polish diaspora is represented worldwide. Yet, little is known about Polish language and culture maintenance in Finland. However, the language practices of Polish families living there are worth being investigated, particularly in relation to language maintenance and transmission. This research aims to explore how families engage with the Polish language and what factors contribute to its preservation. The study focuses on the role of family dynamics, including interactions, communication patterns, and language choices within the family unit. The research is built on a survey of representatives of the Polish diaspora in Finland and a qualitative case study of a Polish family living in Finland. It uses content and descriptive analyses. The results identify effective strategies and interventions that can enhance the long-term vitality of the Polish language in diaspora communities. Cultural influences, such as traditions, values, and identities, are considered in relation to the sustainability of language development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Policy and Practice in Multilingual Families)
18 pages, 370 KiB  
Article
Language Management in Transnational Multilingual Families: Generation 1.5 Parents in Finland
by Gali Bloch
Languages 2024, 9(10), 330; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9100330 - 21 Oct 2024
Viewed by 922
Abstract
In today’s globalized world, more children are born to parents who speak two or more languages between them. These families manage complex language dynamics, with diverse language practices influencing communication among family members. The complexity intensifies when multilingual and multicultural parents move with [...] Read more.
In today’s globalized world, more children are born to parents who speak two or more languages between them. These families manage complex language dynamics, with diverse language practices influencing communication among family members. The complexity intensifies when multilingual and multicultural parents move with their children to a country with a new majority language, while keeping connections to their original society. In such cases, balancing heritage and host country languages affects both cultural preservation and integration into a new society. Based on semi-structured interviews with seven Generation 1.5 Russian–Hebrew bilingual parents living in Finland, this paper explores their strategies for managing their children’s multilingual development. The study poses two key questions: What are the language management strategies reported by the parents? What are the major challenges these parents face in maintaining heritage Russian and Hebrew languages in Finland? Thematic data analysis using ATLAS.ti software highlights the parents’ persistent commitment to maintaining multilingualism within their families, focusing on preserving existing social connections and fostering new ones for the entire family. The findings reveal key aspects of parental language management, parental involvement and home environments, along with reported challenges, both personal and institutional, in maintaining Hebrew and Russian as heritage languages in Finland. This study offers a new perspective on language management strategies in multilingual families, handling a less-explored language combination. By analyzing individual language management approaches, this study reveals common strategies used to support multilingualism and balance heritage languages with those of a new environment, thereby contributing to discussions on linguistic diversity and multicultural integration in transnational settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Policy and Practice in Multilingual Families)
22 pages, 2872 KiB  
Article
Albanian as a Heritage Language in Italy: A Case Study on Code-Switching within DP
by Gloria Cocchi and Cristina Pierantozzi
Languages 2024, 9(9), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090285 - 23 Aug 2024
Viewed by 876
Abstract
In this pilot work, we are going to discuss several aspects concerning the Albanian language spoken in the Italian territory by immigrants of different generations. After an excursus on heritage languages in general, and Albanian as a heritage language in particular, we present [...] Read more.
In this pilot work, we are going to discuss several aspects concerning the Albanian language spoken in the Italian territory by immigrants of different generations. After an excursus on heritage languages in general, and Albanian as a heritage language in particular, we present the results of both a sociolinguistic and a linguistic survey conducted among some Albanian immigrants in Italy. The former aims at investigating the contexts of use of Albanian and Italian languages, the participants’ competence in both of them and their attitude towards code-switching. The latter is focused on the participants’ judgments of the acceptability of different types of mixed Italian–Albanian DPs, i.e., DPs where D and N are expressed in different languages, and the theoretical implications that emerge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Policy and Practice in Multilingual Families)
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19 pages, 401 KiB  
Article
English Immersion as Family Language Policy in Spanish Households: Agentive Practices and Emotional Investments
by Ana María Relaño-Pastor
Languages 2024, 9(8), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9080272 - 13 Aug 2024
Viewed by 972
Abstract
This article explores English immersion as a type of family language policy in the Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha. Although the field of family language policy (FLP) has exponentially grown in the last decade to include a range of multilingual contexts across the [...] Read more.
This article explores English immersion as a type of family language policy in the Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha. Although the field of family language policy (FLP) has exponentially grown in the last decade to include a range of multilingual contexts across the world, the policies regarding the use of English in monolingual Spanish households have received little attention. Due to the global spread of English, Spanish families invest in their children’s language education by maximizing opportunities for exposure to English inside and outside the home. This sociolinguistic ethnography of a group of 15 monolingual Spanish families with no to advanced English proficiency explores the interplay of English language ideologies, language socialization practices, and emotional investments in narratives of language experiences. This article discusses the enactment of agency among these families to sustain English immersion, which is driven by families’ English learning trajectories, professional development identities, and affective stances shaping lived experiences with English. Two main research questions organize this article: (1) How do Spanish families envision, manage, and implement English immersion practices? (2) How do these English immersion policies shape the sociolinguistic order at home and beyond for their children? Based on the findings provided by narratives of language experiences among these families, this study addresses the tensions and dilemmas related to English immersion in the field of family language policy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Policy and Practice in Multilingual Families)
20 pages, 779 KiB  
Article
Language Attitudes among Second-Generation Arabic Speakers in Italy
by Ibraam Abdelsayed and Martina Bellinzona
Languages 2024, 9(8), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9080262 - 29 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1542
Abstract
This research explores the language attitudes of second-generation Arabic speakers in Italy, examining their perspectives on both Italian and Arabic. The study assesses these attitudes within the complex sociolinguistic environment of Arabic, which is heavily influenced by a diglossic view between Standard Arabic [...] Read more.
This research explores the language attitudes of second-generation Arabic speakers in Italy, examining their perspectives on both Italian and Arabic. The study assesses these attitudes within the complex sociolinguistic environment of Arabic, which is heavily influenced by a diglossic view between Standard Arabic and Arabic dialects. The findings highlight nuanced attitudes toward Italian, Standard Arabic, and Arabic dialects, influenced by factors such as social integration, communicative utility, and cultural identity. Italian is perceived as a tool for social advancement and integration. In contrast, Arabic dialects are essential for maintaining cultural and familial ties, yet they often face marginalization in formal education settings and encounter social stigma. Conversely, Standard Arabic is esteemed in formal and religious settings despite its limited everyday use. This analysis reveals a dynamic interplay of attitudinal responses to these languages, illustrating a rich mosaic of multilingual and multicultural identities. The results call for policies that acknowledge and promote linguistic diversity in Italy, aiming to enhance social integration and protect linguistic rights. These policies should include educational reforms that treat Standard Arabic and Arabic dialects equitably, supporting their role in fostering inclusive and comprehensive linguistic-cultural integration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Policy and Practice in Multilingual Families)
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16 pages, 346 KiB  
Article
The Role of the Mother in Lithuanian Heritage Language Maintenance
by Meilutė Ramonienė and Jogilė Teresa Ramonaitė
Languages 2024, 9(7), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9070241 - 5 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1205
Abstract
The paper explores the pivotal role of mothers in maintaining the Lithuanian language within the Lithuanian diaspora, drawing upon Spolsky’s family language policy theory and Curdt-Christiansen’s dynamic family language policy model. Analyzing data collected in 2011–2013 and 2015–2017, the study investigates various factors [...] Read more.
The paper explores the pivotal role of mothers in maintaining the Lithuanian language within the Lithuanian diaspora, drawing upon Spolsky’s family language policy theory and Curdt-Christiansen’s dynamic family language policy model. Analyzing data collected in 2011–2013 and 2015–2017, the study investigates various factors shaping family language policy, with a particular focus on the mother’s influence. It examines the interplay between the mother’s role, emigrants’ language ideology, Lithuanian identity, language acquisition, proficiency, and language usage across different domains and emotional dimension of language attitudes. Quantitative analysis, considering respondents’ parents’ ethnicities, reveals that respondents with Lithuanian mothers exhibit stronger connections to Lithuanian identity, more frequent acquisition of Lithuanian as their first language, higher proficiency, and increased usage of Lithuanian within the family and as an inner language. Moreover, positive language attitudes towards the heritage Lithuanian language are more pronounced among those with Lithuanian mothers. However, emotional attitudes towards language did not significantly differ based on parental ethnicity. The paper concludes by discussing the heightened responsibility of mothers in language maintenance within the diaspora and the challenges they face in fulfilling this role. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Policy and Practice in Multilingual Families)
17 pages, 926 KiB  
Article
Family Language Policies of Multilingual Families during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Israel, and Sweden
by Anastassia Zabrodskaja, Natalia Meir, Sviatlana Karpava, Natalia Ringblom and Anna Ritter
Languages 2023, 8(4), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8040263 - 8 Nov 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3235
Abstract
This study explored the language and literacy practices of multilingual families in Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Israel, and Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focuses on the different roles of family members in language transmission in order to understand whether these practices might [...] Read more.
This study explored the language and literacy practices of multilingual families in Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Israel, and Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focuses on the different roles of family members in language transmission in order to understand whether these practices might have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to answer two key research questions: RQ1, whether and how the pandemic conditions affected the heritage language, societal language acquisition, and heritage language literacy learning environments in the five countries examined (Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Israel, and Sweden); and RQ2, what is the nature of child and parental agency in facilitation of the possible changes in the corresponding five countries? Fifty semi-structured interviews (ten in each country) were conducted. The data highlighted the factors that triggered changes in family language policy during the pandemic and the role of the child’s agency, parents, extended family, and social network during this period. Based on our findings, we argue that the pandemic conditions gave the children new opportunities for agency when it comes to language and literacy choice and communication with extended family members. This even facilitated new sources of input and suggested the active role of a child as an agent in shaping family language policy in the family. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Policy and Practice in Multilingual Families)
14 pages, 626 KiB  
Article
The Constraints of Monolingual Language Policy and Heteroglossic Practices as a Vehicle for Linguistic Justice
by Beatha Set
Languages 2023, 8(2), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020131 - 22 May 2023
Viewed by 2630
Abstract
This paper draws on conceptualisations of language as heteroglossic practices to examine how the experienced bilingual science teacher navigates between the monoglossic ideology that is embodied in the official Namibian Language in Education Policy (LiEP) within a linguistically constrained Namibian bilingual context. This [...] Read more.
This paper draws on conceptualisations of language as heteroglossic practices to examine how the experienced bilingual science teacher navigates between the monoglossic ideology that is embodied in the official Namibian Language in Education Policy (LiEP) within a linguistically constrained Namibian bilingual context. This paper aims to support recent research that challenges monolingual and monoglossic language practices, which tend to ignore the linguistic resources that children bring to the classroom. Data were collected from a classroom including video and audio recordings of lessons, field notes and photographs. The data were analysed through socio-cultural discourse and fine-grained multimodal analytical methods. The data findings illustrate the moment where the science teacher was constrained by English monolingual policy to mediate learners’ access to science learning, and harnessed all linguistic resources that the learners bring to the classroom. Subsidiary to that, there were moments where the teacher worked flexibly across languages, discourses and modes to interrupt the monoglossic ideology that is embodied in the official Namibian Language in Education Policy (LiEP). The use of rich heteroglossic practices is a clear testimony to enhanced science meaning-making regardless of learners’ ‘limited proficiency in English. The findings highlight the need to support learners from linguistically diverse backgrounds through a deliberate inclusive language policy that harnesses the heteroglossic nature of communicative practices and prepares teachers for a multilingual reality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Policy and Practice in Multilingual Families)
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