Families with Emergent Bilinguals of English and Chinese:  A Case Study of Family Language Policy in China

Ma, Yue

Families with Emergent Bilinguals of English and Chinese: A Case Study of Family Language Policy in China

dc.contributor.advisor	Dressler, Roswita
dc.contributor.author	Ma, Yue
dc.contributor.committeemember	Lenters, Kimberly
dc.contributor.committeemember	Chua, Catherine
dc.date	2023-06
dc.date.accessioned	2023-05-02T17:06:09Z
dc.date.available	2023-05-02T17:06:09Z
dc.date.issued	2023-04-28
dc.description.abstract	Parents and grandparents in China are implementing family language policies (FLPs) to promote their children’s bilingualism, which needs a detailed study focusing on them. This study investigated the FLPs of families of young children who are non-native speakers of English living in China. Using a case study methodology (Merriam, 1998), I examined the FLPs of five Chinese families who are raising their children bilingually. This study described, compared, and contrasted the language ideologies, language management, and language practices among the families by using semi-structured interviews with parents and grandparents, parent-child audio recordings, weekly literacy activities, and children’s artefacts. The study draws from Spolsky’s (2004) language policy model as its conceptual framework. The findings revealed that almost all mothers believe that English and Chinese were equally important, while all fathers believed Mandarin was more important, and different beliefs about English were found among grandparents. Although most of the fathers had good English abilities, it was the mothers who conducted most of the English language management and practice at home, revealing a gendered division of labour in FLP. The study also found that grandparents played vital roles in children’s Mandarin language development. These families faced similar challenges and obstacles in raising a bilingual child in China: lack of English environment and time; occasional demotivation; financial burdens; and, misunderstanding from others. The findings from this study reveal the importance of participation by all family members in supporting each other in raising bilingual children, including the grandparents. Finally, contrary to some parents’ beliefs, the mothers’ English abilities and educational background should not be a constraint to English FLP and the children’s English development.
dc.identifier.citation	Ma, Y. (2023). Families with emergent bilinguals of English and Chinese: a case study of family language policy in China (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1880/116144
dc.identifier.uri	https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/dspace/40989
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher.faculty	Werklund School of Education
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	family language policy
dc.subject	child bilingualism
dc.subject	English learning
dc.subject	parents and grandparents
dc.subject	emergent bilinguals
dc.subject.classification	Education--Bilingual and Multicultural
dc.subject.classification	Language
dc.subject.classification	Literature--English
dc.title	Families with Emergent Bilinguals of English and Chinese: A Case Study of Family Language Policy in China
dc.type	doctoral thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Education Graduate Program – Educational Research
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I require a thesis withhold – I need to delay the release of my thesis due to a patent application, and other reasons outlined in the link above. I have/will need to submit a thesis withhold application.