Bilingual parenting as good parenting: parents’ perspective on family language policy for

additive bilingualism

Susy Bird, Becky Liao, Véronique Willardson

Introduction• Why do you think parents want to

raise their children bilingually?• This paper investigated how parents

explain, frame and defend their particular family policies.

Literature Review• There are a growing number of

parents’ emphasis the importance of bilingualism today. (Center for applied linguistic, 2005)

• Additive bilingualism(elite bilingualism) – where families chose to maintain and develop two or more languages. (Lambert, 1975)

• Many parents are eager to provide language enrichment activities for children at a young age.

• Challenges to raising bilingual children in the USA

• Growing number of heritage Spanish programs (Peyton el al., 2001)

• Family language policies potentially impact children’s bilingual development (Piller,2002)

• Family language policies are shaped by beliefs and ideas about language. ( Spolsky, 2004)

How decisions are made• Public discourses on parent

o Culture notions of what takes a "good" or "bad" parent (Pitt, 2002; Okita, 2001)

In contrast, • Private and intimate sources, eg.

Personal networko Family and friends provide key advice and

support in decision- making (Mitchell &Green, 2002)

Method• 24 families participated in audio-recorded,

ethnographic interviews • Recruitment

o announcemento flyero short questionnaire

• Interview• Location of interview: family living rooms or

kitchens, relax tone

Participants• From Washington D.C. metropolitan area• Fathers are older and less educated than

mothers• 10 mothers have full-time job

Home language practice from most English- oriented to most Spanish- oriented

Findings • Benefit of bilingualism: maintenance of cultural

ties to increased economic opportunities for their children

• Parents used the following three resources to defend and explain their bilingual parenting policy

1. The popular press and parenting advice literature (52)

2. Other bilingual families (extended family) (31)

3. Personal language learning experiences (43)• Parents referred to each of these sources about

equally.However, ways to provide support for their decision differ considerably

• "I know that studies show..."o Many parents referred to magazines,

newspaper or research findings o "Earlier is better"

• "Not like my sister's kids..."• "When I was little..."

CALIFORNIA | LOCALProposition 227 Speaks the Language of Uncertainty

July 29, 1998 | NICK ANDERSON, TIMES STAFF WRITERBusinessman Ron K. Unz and his allies had at least two goals in mind last year when they drafted Proposition 227: to end bilingual education in California, and to ensure that the initiative would withstand a court challenge if it won voter approval. Those diverging aims produced a law with some internal conflicts. There is no mistaking the sweeping mandate--"all children in California public schools shall be taught English by being taught in English."

My personal experience• Lack of support• Lack of

experience

Recommendations • Speak to the child

in both languages• Read to the child• Expose child to

the language

Activities

http://esp.brainpop.com/

Discussion• What are some advantages and

disadvantages to raise bilingual children?

• Do you want to raise your children bilingually? Why or why not?

• Why Bilingual Brains Rock