Family Language Policy: A Multi-level Investigation of Multilingual Practices in Transnational Families
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bath
Department Name: Education
Abstract
This proposed study aims to explore what types of Family Language Policy (FLP) exist in the UK at the national level, how FLP is shaped, established, and implemented at the community level, and what practices are managed and how they are negotiated at the family level. We define FLP as both explicit and implicit language planning in relation to language choice and literacy practices within home domains and among family members. The project employs a MULTI-LEVEL, MULTI-COMMUNITY, and MULTI-TYPE family design and involves non-transnational and transnational families across three ethnolinguistic communities - Chinese, Polish and Somali. The 'multi'-approaches to studying FLP will make our research cutting edge, timely, innovative and interdisciplinary. Building on studies from language socialisation, literacy studies, language policy and migration, the multi-interdisciplinary approach will enable us to extend and challenge the existing conceptual tools to study language maintenance, multilingualism and social cohesion. As the first systematic study of FLP in the UK, it will provide us with both depth and breadth to understand the decision-making processes of FLP.
FLP addresses children's multilingual development in three interrelated aspects: language ideology, language practices and language management.
Through a comparative lens, this project will reveal the similarities and differences of FLP in relation to sociocultural changes, linguistic development and migration history in three diasporic communities. To understand how FLP is embedded in the broader sociopolitical context, we aim to:
1)Examine how mobility and on-going changes in sociocultural contexts impact on family language policies;
2)Understand how FLP is shaped, established and enacted in day-to-day interactional and digital practices;
3)Identify similarities and differences in FLP across three transnational communities;
4)Generate new knowledge by locating FLP as a field of inquiry;
5)Inform policy makers at different levels - national, educational, community and family - about the role of FLP.
The study employs a multi-level design and an interdisciplinary approach to understand the actual language practices and the decision-making processes of intergenerational language transmission.
At the national level, a survey will be distributed to all types of families with multilingual experiences. The data will yield much needed information on changes of perspective about multilingualism in the current UK. At the community level, community profiles will be constructed through focus group interviews and an event survey. A family language audit survey will also be conducted to map the 'who, what, why and how' of FLP. At the family level, ethnographic fieldwork will be carried out in 6-8 families in each community to collect audio recordings of 'live' events, interviews, and digital communications. The data will capture ideological positions, FLP dimensions and critical moments of parental decisions.
We choose Chinese, Polish and Somali communities because they represent three distinguished linguistic and sociopolitical groups - Asian, European and African, with different migration histories and cultural-religious practices. Involving different types of families is necessary because migration in these ethnolinguistic communities often involves members of extended family who are key agents in cultural and linguistic socialization. The profiles of the families and communities will make visible the relationships between private domains and the public sphere and reveal the conflicts that families negotiate between the realities of social pressure, education demands, and the desire for cultural-linguistic continuity.
We use 'looking back' and 'looking forward' methods to identify the critical elements of FLP. These decisive insights will inform policy makers at different levels of the role of FLP in multilingual development, social cohesion and children's wellbeing.
FLP addresses children's multilingual development in three interrelated aspects: language ideology, language practices and language management.
Through a comparative lens, this project will reveal the similarities and differences of FLP in relation to sociocultural changes, linguistic development and migration history in three diasporic communities. To understand how FLP is embedded in the broader sociopolitical context, we aim to:
1)Examine how mobility and on-going changes in sociocultural contexts impact on family language policies;
2)Understand how FLP is shaped, established and enacted in day-to-day interactional and digital practices;
3)Identify similarities and differences in FLP across three transnational communities;
4)Generate new knowledge by locating FLP as a field of inquiry;
5)Inform policy makers at different levels - national, educational, community and family - about the role of FLP.
The study employs a multi-level design and an interdisciplinary approach to understand the actual language practices and the decision-making processes of intergenerational language transmission.
At the national level, a survey will be distributed to all types of families with multilingual experiences. The data will yield much needed information on changes of perspective about multilingualism in the current UK. At the community level, community profiles will be constructed through focus group interviews and an event survey. A family language audit survey will also be conducted to map the 'who, what, why and how' of FLP. At the family level, ethnographic fieldwork will be carried out in 6-8 families in each community to collect audio recordings of 'live' events, interviews, and digital communications. The data will capture ideological positions, FLP dimensions and critical moments of parental decisions.
We choose Chinese, Polish and Somali communities because they represent three distinguished linguistic and sociopolitical groups - Asian, European and African, with different migration histories and cultural-religious practices. Involving different types of families is necessary because migration in these ethnolinguistic communities often involves members of extended family who are key agents in cultural and linguistic socialization. The profiles of the families and communities will make visible the relationships between private domains and the public sphere and reveal the conflicts that families negotiate between the realities of social pressure, education demands, and the desire for cultural-linguistic continuity.
We use 'looking back' and 'looking forward' methods to identify the critical elements of FLP. These decisive insights will inform policy makers at different levels of the role of FLP in multilingual development, social cohesion and children's wellbeing.
Planned Impact
Who will benefit from this research?
The FLP project will have both academic collaborators and non-academic advisors and members from associated organization whose extensive knowledge and experiences can shed light on what types of FLP promote or discourage multilingual development, what kind of sociocultural and linguistic milieu in communities support social cohesion and identity construction, and what policies at educational and national levels provide conducive environments for heritage language maintenance and literacy development. The beneficiaries are both institutions, such as families, schools, and research institutes, and individuals, such as practitioners and teachers. Importantly, the public at large will gain new understanding of the benefits and value of multilingualism. The outcomes, presented through media/TV interviews, social media, presentations at parent-teacher meetings and other public gatherings, may change the views of the public on raising multilingual children and also alter the deficit views sometimes held on speakers of minority languages .
Specifically, outcomes of the research will be of value to (i) policy makers, (ii) professional practitioners, such as teachers and other school personnel, community leaders/practitioners, and (iii) multilingual and transnational families.
How will they benefit from this research?
1.VALUE TO POLICY MAKERS. The substantially and comprehensively collected datasets, systematically analysed data and empirically based findings from this research will benefit both national and local policy makers by presenting strong evidence-based results. The research findings will be disseminated to policy makers and policy-making institutions at various levels, including the Department of Education, ICC- the International Language Association and The National Resource Centre for Supplementary Schools. The final project report will be distributed to these institutions through our academic and professional networks as well as our advisory committee members who will use their political insight to ensure that the dissemination of the findings is carefully targeted.
2.VALUE TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTITIONERS. Both mainstream and heritage language school teachers/personnel, family counsellors, speech and language therapists and community leaders/practitioners, will be invited to workshops, seminars and an engagement event. These activities will demonstrate the multilingual advantages in socioeconomic advancement and also show how bilingual education leads to better academic performance, cognitive gains, and social cohesion. In particular, the participants will become aware how their professional advice and practices may affect the everyday lives of transnational families.
3.VALUE TO MULTILINGUAL & TRANSNATIONAL FAMILIES. The evidence gathered from the project will raise their awareness and understanding of the value in multilingual practices in private domains with regard to socioeconomic gains, cognitive benefits, and emotional ties. Importantly, the results will empower them in raising their awareness of their rights and obligations in the community and wider society in terms of protecting cultural and linguistic diversity, maintaining social cohesion and asserting their identities. Caretakers will benefit from intervention workshops conducted in community centres, libraries, and heritage language schools. These include discourse strategies, reading sessions in minority languages, drop-in sessions, etc.
4.VALUE TO THE PUBLIC. The public at large will also benefit. The findings will raise awareness of the socio-cognitive benefits of multilingual development, and increase sociocultural tolerance and respect for linguistic diversity. The dissemination in social media will be carefully channelled with links between the research website and various associations' websites. Findings will be posted in different languages, culminating in downloadable flyers and brochures.
The FLP project will have both academic collaborators and non-academic advisors and members from associated organization whose extensive knowledge and experiences can shed light on what types of FLP promote or discourage multilingual development, what kind of sociocultural and linguistic milieu in communities support social cohesion and identity construction, and what policies at educational and national levels provide conducive environments for heritage language maintenance and literacy development. The beneficiaries are both institutions, such as families, schools, and research institutes, and individuals, such as practitioners and teachers. Importantly, the public at large will gain new understanding of the benefits and value of multilingualism. The outcomes, presented through media/TV interviews, social media, presentations at parent-teacher meetings and other public gatherings, may change the views of the public on raising multilingual children and also alter the deficit views sometimes held on speakers of minority languages .
Specifically, outcomes of the research will be of value to (i) policy makers, (ii) professional practitioners, such as teachers and other school personnel, community leaders/practitioners, and (iii) multilingual and transnational families.
How will they benefit from this research?
1.VALUE TO POLICY MAKERS. The substantially and comprehensively collected datasets, systematically analysed data and empirically based findings from this research will benefit both national and local policy makers by presenting strong evidence-based results. The research findings will be disseminated to policy makers and policy-making institutions at various levels, including the Department of Education, ICC- the International Language Association and The National Resource Centre for Supplementary Schools. The final project report will be distributed to these institutions through our academic and professional networks as well as our advisory committee members who will use their political insight to ensure that the dissemination of the findings is carefully targeted.
2.VALUE TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTITIONERS. Both mainstream and heritage language school teachers/personnel, family counsellors, speech and language therapists and community leaders/practitioners, will be invited to workshops, seminars and an engagement event. These activities will demonstrate the multilingual advantages in socioeconomic advancement and also show how bilingual education leads to better academic performance, cognitive gains, and social cohesion. In particular, the participants will become aware how their professional advice and practices may affect the everyday lives of transnational families.
3.VALUE TO MULTILINGUAL & TRANSNATIONAL FAMILIES. The evidence gathered from the project will raise their awareness and understanding of the value in multilingual practices in private domains with regard to socioeconomic gains, cognitive benefits, and emotional ties. Importantly, the results will empower them in raising their awareness of their rights and obligations in the community and wider society in terms of protecting cultural and linguistic diversity, maintaining social cohesion and asserting their identities. Caretakers will benefit from intervention workshops conducted in community centres, libraries, and heritage language schools. These include discourse strategies, reading sessions in minority languages, drop-in sessions, etc.
4.VALUE TO THE PUBLIC. The public at large will also benefit. The findings will raise awareness of the socio-cognitive benefits of multilingual development, and increase sociocultural tolerance and respect for linguistic diversity. The dissemination in social media will be carefully channelled with links between the research website and various associations' websites. Findings will be posted in different languages, culminating in downloadable flyers and brochures.
Publications
Zhu Hua
(2018)
Routledge Handbook of Diaspora Studies
Zhu Hua
(2017)
Routledge Handbook of Migration and Language
Yang H
(2020)
Conflicting linguistic identities: language choices of parents and their children in rural migrant workers' families
in Current Issues in Language Planning
Wei L
(2018)
Translanguaging as a Practical Theory of Language
in Applied Linguistics
Wei L
(2019)
Imagination as a key factor in LMLS in transnational families
in International Journal of the Sociology of Language
Wang, W
(2020)
Lost in Translation: Parents as Medium Translators in Intergenerational Transmission
in Current Issues in Language Planning
Wang, W
(2018)
Children's Language Development in Chinese Families: Urban Middle Class as a Case
in Chinese Journal of Language Policy and Planning
Wang W
(2020)
Lost in translation: parents as medium translators in intergenerational language transmission
in Current Issues in Language Planning
Description | The global transnational movements in recent years have intensified the encounters of different cultural traditions, social values and political ideologies. While the changes have enriched the societal linguistic and semiotic repertoires, they have also presented new challenges to many families regarding how to raise children in a multilingual environment. Family Language Policy (FLP) project addresses these challenges by examining the decision-making processes of language choice, language maintenance, and language development in relation to migration histories, linguistic environments, cultural conditions, and sociopolitical systems. The project has contributed to the field of sociolinguistics by: • generating new knowledge about how mobility and on-going changes in sociocultural contexts impact on family language policies. As the first systematic and comprehensive study of FLP in the UK, it has provided us with both depth and breadth to understand what types of Family Language Policy (FLP) exist in the UK at the national level, how FLP is shaped, established, and implemented at the community level, and what practices are managed and how they are negotiated at the family level. • adopting a multi-level, multi-community and multi-type family design to innovative research. Employing a national survey, a community profiling and family ethnography, it has provided comprehensive tools to explore the evolving linguistic and cultural characteristics of the UK society. The innovative research design had enabled us to collect rich and informative data, encompassing linguistic configurations of different types of families, linguistic environments in community and families, audio recorded 'live events', multilingual literacy resources and digital forms of communication practices. • gaining new theoretical knowledge to understand the essential interplay between macro-, meso- and micro-levels of linguistic practices and policy decisions. It established the field as an interdisciplinary inquiry and has advanced our knowledge about how sociocultural changes, linguistic development and migration history combine to impact on the decision-making processes of FLP. • Involving three distinguished linguistic and sociopolitical communities Chinese (Asian), Polish (European) and Somali (African). We have gained insight into the historical trajectories of cultural and linguistic development in relation to migration in three diasporic communities. Through a comparative lens, our data provided important information on how family and community structures, access to resources, language environments and cultural conditions (dis)enable the members of these communities to maintain their distinctive cultural and linguistic heritage. The FLP project provided us with knowledge about what types of FLP promote or discourage multilingual development, what kind of sociocultural and linguistic milieu in communities supports social cohesion and identity construction, and what policies at educational and national levels provide conducive environments for heritage language maintenance and literacy development. The outcomes had some impact through our engagement activities on families and practitioners with regard to the socioeconomic value of multilingualism, the advantages of protecting linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as the cultural and emotional significance of minority language practices in private domains. |
Exploitation Route | This project examines knowledge construction from broader sociolinguistic and political-economic perspectives, so that the findings can be taken forward by researchers in literacy studies, sociolinguistics, policy research, education, political science, migration studies, and sociology. The interdisciplinary nature of the research contributes new insights to the field of bilingual education, migration studies, multilingualism and language policy. Our research design, methods and tools are particularly useful for researchers who work on multiple sites, deal with issues of migration, intercultural communication and with multilingual and multicultural participants. The outcomes of the project could also be used by policy makers and other stakeholders to make changes in schools by involving families and parents to help and support EAL learners. At the higher education level, the findings could be incorporated in teacher training programmes providing evidence-based data for training EAL specialists. Most importantly, the findings can be used to raise respect for linguistic diversity and cognitive benefits. The evidence-based findings could provide the public with new perceptions about the socioeconomic value of multilingualism, the advantages of protecting linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as the cultural and emotional significance of minority language practices in private domains. |
Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy Education Government Democracy and Justice |
Description | ? We presented the findings from our survey and preliminary family-level study to NALDIC South West SIG. The presentation engaged EAL teachers and practitioners in discussions about how to support bilingual/multilingual children and in what ways schools should involve parents and communities to develop children's multiple language skills and enhance their academic performance. Teachers at the event reflected on their own teaching practices with regard to their ideological beliefs about minority language students and school policies that support EAL learners. Thirty teachers attended the event at the University of Bath. They found the event both relevant and inspiring, and considered it informative and practically helpful. Several teachers sent email to the PI requesting further collaboration. |
First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education |
Impact Types | Cultural Societal Policy & public services |
Description | Factors Influencing Family Language Policy |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | Family Language Policy: Does it Matter? |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
URL | https://liemc2020.wordpress.com/ |
Description | Family Language Policy: Mobility, Migration, and Multilingualism in the UK |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | Family and community: A consorted effort. |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
URL | http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4027061 |
Description | Language and Migration |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7UksgD3jf4&t=1482s |
Description | Lost in Translation: Parents as Medium Translators in Intergenerational Language Transmission |
Geographic Reach | Asia |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Title | Family Language Audit |
Description | measure the amount of language input received and the types of language practiced by children related to a specific activity in a routinized daily life. |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Year Produced | 2016 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | impact on parents and practitioners' language practices with children in formal and informal contexts |
Title | National Survey |
Description | The survey investigates Family Language Policy types and language practices. The survey is designed to collect national data collected from different cities and regions, in different ethnic communities, including transnational and non-transnational mono-English speaking families. The data provides informative facts about the current language use in home domains and the general public's language attitudes towards multilingualism in the UK. It will develop a comprehensive data base for identifying sociocultural conditions and sociolinguistic practices for multiple language development. Through quantitative and statistical analyses, such as factor analysis and multivariate analysis, we will gain insight to what kinds of multilingual and multiliteracy practices related to the types of FLP employed by particular kinds of families, that are more likely to lead to heritage language development and transmission or discontinuity. ? |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Collecting survey data is on-going, expected final results is July 2018 |
URL | https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/FLPproject |
Title | ethnography |
Description | observe actual language practices in families across the communities, observe the silent cultural conversations among family members |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | impact on language ideological beliefs of different level of policy makers. |
Description | Ethnic Community Associations |
Organisation | Anti-Tribalism Movement |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | We engage with key holders of of the three ethnic communities to plan our public engagement and dissemination workshops. We are in the process of engaging with community members and parents in exchanging knowledge about social and cognitive advantages of multilingual development. |
Collaborator Contribution | Community schools, community members and families provide us with valuable information about what social conditions and linguistic environments are conducive for multiple language development, how languages are used for different purposes in their everyday life, and in what ways that different migration experiences, linguistic and educational backgrounds and resettlement patterns influence their attitudes and ideologies towards developing the different languages in their life. |
Impact | 1. Curdt-Christiansen, X.L., Li Wei., & Zhu Hua (2018). Sociolinguistic Profile of Ethnic Communities in the UK. Paper to be presented at the 5th International Conference 'Crossroads of Languages and Cultures: Languages and Cultures at Home and at School' (CLC5). Centre for Intercultural and Migration Studies, University of Crete, Greece, June 1-3, 2018.Curdt-Christiansen, X.L. (2017 December). The role of parental language beliefs and practices on the process of bilingual acquisition: Does it matter if we are to fully understand bilingualism? Bilingual First Language Acquisition: Current theories & methodologies. BAAL/Routledge Developmental Workshop 2017/2018, York University, UK.http://store.york.ac.uk/product-catalogue/education/conferences/bfla-conference-at-the-university-of-york Curdt-Christiansen, X.L. (2017 April 7-8). Family language policy: Building new methodological and analytical framework. The 2nd Symposium of Language Policy in the Family, the Preschool and the School. Heading for the future. University of Jyväskylä, Finland. https://www.jyu.fi/hytk/fi/laitokset/kivi/meidanlaitoksemme/henkilosto/palviainen-asa/the-2nd-symposium-of-language-policy-in-the-family-the-preschool-and-the-school-heading-for-the-future |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | Ethnic Community Associations |
Organisation | Bright Centres |
Department | Bright Education Centre |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | We engage with key holders of of the three ethnic communities to plan our public engagement and dissemination workshops. We are in the process of engaging with community members and parents in exchanging knowledge about social and cognitive advantages of multilingual development. |
Collaborator Contribution | Community schools, community members and families provide us with valuable information about what social conditions and linguistic environments are conducive for multiple language development, how languages are used for different purposes in their everyday life, and in what ways that different migration experiences, linguistic and educational backgrounds and resettlement patterns influence their attitudes and ideologies towards developing the different languages in their life. |
Impact | 1. Curdt-Christiansen, X.L., Li Wei., & Zhu Hua (2018). Sociolinguistic Profile of Ethnic Communities in the UK. Paper to be presented at the 5th International Conference 'Crossroads of Languages and Cultures: Languages and Cultures at Home and at School' (CLC5). Centre for Intercultural and Migration Studies, University of Crete, Greece, June 1-3, 2018.Curdt-Christiansen, X.L. (2017 December). The role of parental language beliefs and practices on the process of bilingual acquisition: Does it matter if we are to fully understand bilingualism? Bilingual First Language Acquisition: Current theories & methodologies. BAAL/Routledge Developmental Workshop 2017/2018, York University, UK.http://store.york.ac.uk/product-catalogue/education/conferences/bfla-conference-at-the-university-of-york Curdt-Christiansen, X.L. (2017 April 7-8). Family language policy: Building new methodological and analytical framework. The 2nd Symposium of Language Policy in the Family, the Preschool and the School. Heading for the future. University of Jyväskylä, Finland. https://www.jyu.fi/hytk/fi/laitokset/kivi/meidanlaitoksemme/henkilosto/palviainen-asa/the-2nd-symposium-of-language-policy-in-the-family-the-preschool-and-the-school-heading-for-the-future |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | Ethnic Community Associations |
Organisation | Overseas Chinese Association School |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We engage with key holders of of the three ethnic communities to plan our public engagement and dissemination workshops. We are in the process of engaging with community members and parents in exchanging knowledge about social and cognitive advantages of multilingual development. |
Collaborator Contribution | Community schools, community members and families provide us with valuable information about what social conditions and linguistic environments are conducive for multiple language development, how languages are used for different purposes in their everyday life, and in what ways that different migration experiences, linguistic and educational backgrounds and resettlement patterns influence their attitudes and ideologies towards developing the different languages in their life. |
Impact | 1. Curdt-Christiansen, X.L., Li Wei., & Zhu Hua (2018). Sociolinguistic Profile of Ethnic Communities in the UK. Paper to be presented at the 5th International Conference 'Crossroads of Languages and Cultures: Languages and Cultures at Home and at School' (CLC5). Centre for Intercultural and Migration Studies, University of Crete, Greece, June 1-3, 2018.Curdt-Christiansen, X.L. (2017 December). The role of parental language beliefs and practices on the process of bilingual acquisition: Does it matter if we are to fully understand bilingualism? Bilingual First Language Acquisition: Current theories & methodologies. BAAL/Routledge Developmental Workshop 2017/2018, York University, UK.http://store.york.ac.uk/product-catalogue/education/conferences/bfla-conference-at-the-university-of-york Curdt-Christiansen, X.L. (2017 April 7-8). Family language policy: Building new methodological and analytical framework. The 2nd Symposium of Language Policy in the Family, the Preschool and the School. Heading for the future. University of Jyväskylä, Finland. https://www.jyu.fi/hytk/fi/laitokset/kivi/meidanlaitoksemme/henkilosto/palviainen-asa/the-2nd-symposium-of-language-policy-in-the-family-the-preschool-and-the-school-heading-for-the-future |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | What's in the App? |
Organisation | Academy of Finland |
Country | Finland |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Associated researcher of the project team contributing to analysing data, organising workshops, disseminating research outcomes. |
Collaborator Contribution | organising workshops, disseminating research outcomes, co-publishing |
Impact | Kick off conference opening panel Chair: Joanna Kedra & Åsa Palviainen, University of Jyväskylä title: Mapping apps and sharing caring: digitally-mediated communication within contemporary transnational families Conference: Ethnography Twist, University of Jyväskylä; 12-15 February 2019 Conference organiser: Made at Home. Family Language Policy in a Mobile World. AILA Conference, Groningen, The Netherlands, 9-14 August 2021. Conference organiser: Bilingual family communication in the digital flux, 13 ISB, Warsaw, Poland. Publications: Palviainen, A. & Curdt-Christiansen, X.L. (2021). Language education policies and early childhood education (ECE). In: Schwartz, M. (Ed.), Handbook of Early Language Education. Series Multilingual Education. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. Curdt-Christiansen, X.L. & Palviainen, A. (Ed.)(forth coming). Family Language Policy from the 'Wide Angle': What Do Patterns and Practices Tell Us? Special Issue, Language Policy. |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | ??????,?????? -enriching language environments, tapping into bilingual benefits |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | This public event focuses on how to provide linguistic and educational environments that are conducive to the linguisticl and academic development of children with more than one language. It uses empirical studies from Family Language Project in the UK and other countries to answer parents' and practitioners' concerns about how to raise bilingual/multilingual children. It also provides parents and practitioners with opportunities to dicsuss cases they have encountered in real life. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | A member of Oral History Project Steering Group by Roma Support Group, a charity. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Have taken part in various workshops, events and online initiatives set up by the charity to raise awareness oral history and multilingualism. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019 |
Description | City Hall, Bristol BAME Carers Information Day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
Results and Impact | Participating the Information day run by Bristol and Avon Chinese Women's Group for African-Caribbean, Chinese, Somali, and South Asian communities in Bristol * Providing consultant services and discussions on site to multilingual parents and families from the involving communities * Disseminating research findings to event participants |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Community Event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The engagement activity was to communicate the research project with Chinese migrants in a well-established neighbourhood of Birmingham and the Midland region. The community event was organised in relation to the 2018 Chinese New Year celebration. Over 200 audience attended the event. We were invited by the community leaders to present and introduce our project. Leaflets and flyers about our project were distributed to all audience at the event. Through this event, we also discussed possible collaborations with the community (e.g. focus group interviews, training workshops for parents and teachers) and gained preliminary consent for further ethnographic study at the community centre. Representatives from the community had introduced and circulated the research project among and beyond the event audience. The activity was intended to introduce the research project and negotiate possible participation; gaining support from the community leaders; generate participation interests; and to raise awareness of the importance of understanding language practices and policies at the family level and community level for better wellbeing. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | ESRC Social Science Festival: Multilingual story telling by children for children |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Event: Multilingual Storytelling by Children for Children (ESRC Social Science Festival) Organiser: University of Bath, Department of Education ESRC Project: Family Language Policy Objectives: The aim of the event is to raise critical awareness in the public and promote sociocultural tolerance, respect for linguistic diversity, and understanding of cognitive/socioeconomic benefits. The event will provide multilingual children with an opportunity to express themselves and present their lives by using different languages. It will disprove and repudiate that growing up with multiple languages has detrimental effects on children's language and educational development. Two parallel sessions will be organised: 1. Children's story creating: This event celebrates children's multilingual achievements. It will showcase how they use different languages to write and tell stories about their everyday lives. This event will provide multilingual children with an opportunity to express themselves and present their multilingual and multicultural lives. Activities include story-telling by a well-known author of children's literature, children's creation of a story, and their presentation of this story. Winners will receive vouchers for children's literature from various publishers. 2. Parents' session: During the time of story preparation, parents will attend a sharing session, led by researchers to discuss difficulties and best practices for raising multilingual children. We also present findings of our project and other related projects to demonstrate the socioeconomic and cognitive advantages of raising bilingual children. At the end of this session, parents should be aware that multilingualism is not difficult to achieve, and that learning another language, maintaining a heritage language, and becoming a multilingual should be encouraged and celebrated. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Family Language Policy: Local, National and Transnational Connections |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This two-day event brings together scholars and researchers working in the field of Family Language Policy (FLP) to demonstrate how they generate new knowledge, employ new methods and develop new theories about the dynamic sociocultural practices of families. This symposium is organised by the UK-based research project, Family Language Policy, 2017-2019, funded by the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council, UK) and headed by Prof Xiao Lan Curdt-Christiansen (University of Bath), Prof Li Wei (UCL IoE) and Prof Zhu Hua (Birkbeck, University of London). The symposium highlights recent research developments in different sociopolitical contexts, different sociocultural communities and regarding different types of linguistic/media practices. It focuses on three major research projects, funded by the national research councils: in the UK https://familylanguagepoli.wixsite.com/familylanguagepolicy; in Finland jyu.fi/whatsinapp, and in Norway MultiFam: Family language policy in multilingual transcultural families. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Family language policy research: Methods and Approaches |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | This research methodology workshop aims to explore Family Language Policy (FLP) from sociolinguistic and sociocultural perspectives. It provides new and early career researchers with a platform to discuss methodological and theoretical trends in the field of FLP. Most importantly, it provides these researchers with an opportunity to update their existing knowledge, present their work, and discuss their own ideas even at a premature stage and receive feedback from more experienced researchers and colleagues in the field. Participants brought along samples of their own data and/or ideas about potential projects on family language policy. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Family language policy: focus on literacy development of multilingual children |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | This expert workshop took place in Israel. It brought together scholars and researchers working in the field of literacy from coginitive and sociocultural perspectives. Experts from the two fields discussed their findings and looked into possibilities to colloaborate in future research on children's literacy development in multiple languages. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Family language policy: why does it matter? |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | This talk is a public lecture given at the at the 30th Anniversary of Högskolestiftelsen (Cultural foundation of Swedish Speakers in Finland), Vaasa, Finland. Around 200 people from all kinds of professions who are interested in preserving Swedish language and culture in Finland attended the public engagement. Questions about how to maintain Swedish in home domains and how schools and families can work together were raised. Comparisons of multilingual environments between Britain and Finland were asked. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Family-making does not always need words: a study of embodied multilingual family interactions. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | To present our findings on embodied aspects of family communication. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | How to conduct family language policy research |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | This two-day workshop provides postgraduate and early career researchers with a platform to discuss methodological and analytical frameworks in the field of FLP. It provides these researchers with an opportunity to present their work and analyse their data from multiple perspectives. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Imagination as a key factor in LMLS |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Gave a keynote speech at the 11th Annual conference of Chinese sociolinguistics association, 13-15th, July, 2018, University of Changchun, China about imagination as a key factor in LMLS (Language Maintenance and Language Shift) in transnational families. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Making a family: Language ideologies and practices in a multilingual LGBTQ-identified family with adopted children |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited talk at Twenty-first century families: Connecting multilingualism, kinship, gender and sexuality symposium at AAAL 2021. To disseminate our research findings on family language policy in migration contexts. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Non-heteronormative masculinity, migration and family-making in the UK: multilingual practices within a self-identified LGBTQ+ family with adopted BAME children and ties to Poland |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | To present our findings from FLP to academics and scholars working on language, gender and sexuality. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Pittville School in Cheltenham EAL RiG Meeting with SW NALDIC group |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Presenting recent research findings on Language Policy to the group of EAL teachers with discussions on how to improve EAL education in primary and secondary schools |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Polish Bilingual Day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | Seminar dedicated to Bilingualism was organised as part of Polish Bilingual Days. During this event, community members, teachers of Polish Saturday Schools and academics discussed various topics related to multilingualism and the Polish diaspora community in the UK, e.g. experiences of migration, teaching the Polish language and culture, history and tradition. The event allowed members of the community coming from different backgrounds and institutions to exchange their ideas about benefits and challenges of living a multilingual life. The event ended in an open discussion during which members of the community collectively reflected on the issues facing the community and ways to improve current problems. The event was also accompanied by performances of Polish-English bilingual children and teenagers, which provided an opportunity for different community members to exchange their ideas and find out about projects and programs concerning the Polish diaspora community being conducted in different parts of the UK. Dr Kinga Kozminska gave a talk about the Family Language Policy project. Thus, it provided a forum for discussion and networking with a potential for different community members to learn more about multilingualism and bilingual education. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://www.dobrapolskaszkola.com/2017/10/28/polonijny-dzien-dwujezycznosci-w-wielkiej-brytanii/ |
Description | Project Launch Event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Over 50 participants attended our project Launch Event. Baroness Coussins (Chair for All Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages) opened the launch. Mrs Hobhouse (Bath MP), Mr Wolosz (Educational Officer, Polish Embassy), and Prof Lanza (University of Oslo) gave keynote speech. After the keynotes, a discussion session was carried out where participants raised questions and made suggestions to the research design, dissemination of results and future collaborations with various organisations. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://familylanguagepoli.wixsite.com/familylanguagepolicy |
Description | Raising Bi/Multilingual Children in Transnational Families: Supporting from Schools |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This event, taking place at the Univerity of Bath on 29 April 2019, was one of the regular meetings of NALDIC South West RIG. The workshop focused on how teachers and schools can best support EAL learners with transnational families and ethnic communities. Using data from FLP project, we looked into how teacher ideologies rooted in their educational expereinces can influence their attitudes towards migrant families and EAL learners. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Somali week festival panel discussion |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Panel discussion in which the topic of Somalinimo - what it means to be Somali as a diaspora member living in the UK - was discussed. The panelists represented young Somalis from different academic and professional backgrounds who all had differing opinions and experiences as Somalis in Britain. Members of the public engaged with the conversation during the QA session where debates were had with the panelists and questions were raised. The purpose of this event was to voice opinions about belonging, identity and language maintenance and loss as experienced by young Somalis living in the UK. As a result of this event, attendees interested in contributing further to the research took part in a focus group session about the same topics from the perspective of the parents. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Storytelling event for parents and children |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The event was held in Bath Public Library and was attended by 30 parents and children. The purpose of the event was to promote bilingualism and inform members of the public about the FLP research project. Interactive sessions for the children was divided into two, with children aged 7-11 as one group and their younger siblings in another. Both sessions focused on storytelling and the children were encouraged to write stories in both their mother tongues and in English. The older group were assisted by a well known children's author in their story telling, and were later encouraged to share their stories in front of the group. Meanwhile a separate session was held for parents wherein issues related to bilingualism and mother tongue education support were discussed. Parents in their feedback reported an increased sense of interest in intentionally incorporating bilingual practices into their home life. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Supporting the multilingual child during Covid-19 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | An online event was held with speakers and an audience of the public as well as teachers and other child care professionals, about how to help support children with homeschooling during COVID-19 lockdowns. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ss-2CGxwsk |
Description | The relationship between FLP and EAL teaching: BANES EAL regional meeting: Combe Down Primary Academy |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | 25 teachers from different schools attended the meeting. I Presented recent research output about FLP and bilingual education, as well as discussed how to best support EAL learners by working with families and creating opportunities for children to use their minority language in learning. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Two Mile Hill Primary School, Bristol |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presenting recent research output at the workshop * Discussions with EAL teachers and practitioners working on bilingual education * Further collaboration discussed and planned |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |