Multilingual Family Language Policy and Wellbeing : Language Ideologies, Strategies and Experiences.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pankakoski, Kaisa.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Language in families.

Language planning.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (199 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Bristol : Multilingual Matters, 2026.

Summary:

This book investigates transnational families' experiences in managing national minority and majority languages alongside a foreign language at home. It identifies parents' ideological language motivations and family language policy strategies, and considers the impact of these strategies on children's self-esteem, identity and sense of capability.

Contents:

Cover

Half Title

Series Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

DOI https://doi.org/10.21832/PANKAK9643

Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Glossary of Termsand Acronyms

Chapter 1: Introducing the Study

Sociolinguistic Context of Helsinki and Cardiff

A brief linguistic history of Finland

The linguistic situation in Helsinki

Languages in education in Helsinki

Formal schooling

Foreign language and Swedish or Finnish instruction

A brief linguistic history of Wales

Welsh language revitalisation efforts from the 20th century onwards

The linguistic situation in Cardiff

Languages in education in Cardiff

International Languages (IL) and Welsh or English instruction

Chapter Summary

Research Aims and Questions

Book Structure

Chapter 2: Introducing the Background

Researching Language Transmission in Multilingual Families

Child multilingualism research

Language transmission in the home: Language input providers and exposure

Language learning outside the home environment

Multilingual Families' Language Strategies

One parent, one language (OPOL)

Other parental approaches within the home

Family Language Policy (FLP)

FLP field development

Wellbeing of the multilingual family and FLP research

FLP framework application to this study

Methods

Research ethics

Case study subjects

Case study family recruitment

Case study family profiles

Sociodemographic factors and socioeconomic status of the parents

Researcher's positionality

Data Collection

Self-administered questionnaire

Semi-structured interviews

Interviewing children

Interview transcription and translation

Observations

Data analysis

Chapter 3: Why Raise Multilingual Children? Ideological Motivations for Language Transmission.

Transmitting Heritage and Identity

Communication with Extended Family

Inspired by Other Polyglot Families

The More, the Merrier

The Earlier, the Better

Increased Cognitive Abilities

Languages Open Doors

A Gift

Chapter 4: 'How Are We Going to Do This?' Parental Language Strategies

Family Language Pattern

Time and place: Creating positive family language activities

External Language Support

Extended family

Local language groups

Childcare in target language

Choosing a school language

Language Activities, Resources and Actions

Language immersion visits

Using language resources

Parental discourse strategies

Chapter 5: A Struggle or a Breeze? Parental Experiences Regarding Family Wellbeing and FLP

Familial Factors Negatively Affecting Family Wellbeing

Parents' perceptions of multilingual language development: 'I know he's struggling'

Experiences of immigrant parents' wellbeing: 'swimming against the tide'

The sandwich generation: 'it's that juggling that I'm finding quite challenging'

Children's wellbeing and negative responses to FLP from the parents' perspective: 'they don't want to speak it'

Societal Factors Negatively Impacting Family Wellbeing

The perceived negative impact of Brexit on transnational families' FLP in Wales: 'I did not want difficult situations in front of the kids'

Societal attitudes towards the official minority language speakers: 'things have changed'

Chapter 6: Identity, Awareness and Agency: Children's Perceptions and Wellbeing

Awareness of the FLP

'Mum decided the school'

Language Preference

'Well, Finnish is an easy sausage!'

Child Wellbeing

Own view of language ability: 'I can't really read'

'They say I cannot mix languages'.

Difficile, difícil, difficult: 'sometimes I forget the words'

Pride and linguistic identity: 'I'm proud that I can fluently speak all three'

Perceived Advantages and Motivations of Growing Up Multilingual

'It's a really great opportunity

I can speak to more people'

Communication with extended family: 'being able to speak to your cousins'

Chapter 7: Discussion and Conclusions

Main Findings

How do parents of potentially multilingual children describe their ideological motivations for language transmission?

What are the parents' self-reported language strategies, and what are the parental experiences of implementing these strategies?

How do parents perceive their experiences of raising multilingual children

and to what extent are these experiences shaped by their geographically local community and family circumstances?

What are the multilingual children's own perceptions of becoming and being multilingual?

Characterising the Families and Limitations of the Research

Research Implications

Policy and practice implications

Advice for parents and caregivers of potentially multilingual children

Recommendations for Future Research

References

Index.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Part of the metadata in this record was created by AI, based on the text of the resource.

Other Format:

Print version: Pankakoski, Kaisa Multilingual Family Language Policy and Wellbeing

ISBN:

9781800419650

OCLC:

1587899981