Linguistic choices in multilingual families. The interactions of ideologies and family language policy

Authors

  • Sabine Littig University of Mainz

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18716/ojs/the_mouth.3095

Abstract

This contribution questions which decisions multilingual speakers take according to the languages they speak within their families and how these decisions interact with their language ideologies. Based on the interactive methods of qualitative interviews and participant observation in the family context, the family’s language policy is the focus of my study. I compare the parents’ reasons for their language choices and the measures taken to implement their individual language policy. To enrich, to complement and to change perspective on the existing studies mostly concentrating on the output of multilingualism (i.e. the language abilities of the children), this paper focusses on the parents and their language behavior, the choices they make according to the communication within their family and the reasons for these choices.

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Published

2025-01-07