Korean-immigrant parents' support of their American-born children's development and maintenance of the home language (original) (raw)
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Korean families in America: Their family language policies and home-language maintenance.
This study examined the family language policies (FLP) of Korean American parents and how the language practice, management, and ideology components of their FLP and demographic variables predict maintenance of the home language. Results of a large-scale (N = 480) survey show that different sets of FLP and demographic variables contributed to a model that predicted retention of oral versus literacy skills. Child gender, age of English exposure, and parental attitudes toward bilingualism were strong predictors of oral and literacy skills in the home language. Whereas length of settlement and language-practice patterns predicted maintenance of oral skills, language-management strategies were required for retention of literacy skills. 1 The term immigrant children is used to refer to children in immigrant families who include first-generation (i.e., foreign-born) and second-generation (U.S.-born) children.
Raising Children to Speak Their Heritage Language in the USA: Roles of Korean Parents
Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 2020
Parents play a significant role in fostering Korean-American children’s heritage language learning. This qualitative inquiry investigates Korean immigrant parents’ beliefs and the language practices they engage in to raise their children to speak Korean. Based on questionnaires completed by 40 parents and in-depth, open-ended interviews with 5 parents, this study specifically focuses on Korean parents residing in an area with a low Korean immigrant population and how they perceive, foster, and advocate for their children’s Heritage Language (HL) learning. The findings show that parents play crucial roles as active advocates of their children’s HL learning and positive belief in HL maintenance, making best efforts to help their children see the value of learning. In addition, the findings show that parents serve as HL educators, who create an HL learning environment, instruct HL reading and writing, and incorporate digital tools and popular culture for HL learning.
Parental Language Ideologies and Affecting Factors in Bilingual Parenting in Korea
ENGLISH TEACHING, 2021
This case study investigated parental language ideologies and the underlying social and familial factors affecting the construction of attitudes toward bilingual parenting and how the parents' ideologies affected the formation of family language policy and home language practices. Numerous familial factors were examined, such as parents' socioeconomic status, educational attainment, and relationships with their children, as well as social context factors. The results of the study suggested the interconnectedness of the parents' beliefs with the status of the English language in Korean society and the role of family capital in supporting English language use at home. Several factors affecting bilingual parenting were also investigated, such as parents' language proficiency, available learning resources, and parents' consistency in parenting, and use of English as the medium of communication at home. The results may resonate with the experiences of many Korean parents who have been practicing home bilingual education or are planning to do so in the near future.
Journal of Language Teaching and Research
With the rise of globalization, transmigration becomes more commonplace. Globalization is often accompanied by multiculturalism that constitutes an important fabric in societies and countries around the world. This has been the case in South Korea. Multiculturalism has resulted in many shifts and challenges within the Korean family dynamics. Multilingualism is an important characteristic that uniquely identifies many multicultural families. Regardless of the unique traits of each multicultural family, what seems to be the common denominator within these families of emergent bilingual children is that translanguaging is practiced for various purposes both inside and outside the home environment. Through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and narrative frames, this qualitative case study explores Anglophone fathers’ perceptions of their bilingual children’s language proficiency, the translanguaging practices of Korean-English bilingual families in Korea, and the impact of tra...
2021
Seo, Youngjoo. (2021). Parental language ideologies and affecting factors in bilingual parenting in Korea. English Teaching, 76(1), 105-124. This case study investigated parental language ideologies and the underlying social and familial factors affecting the construction of attitudes toward bilingual parenting and how the parents' ideologies affected the formation of family language policy and home language practices. Numerous familial factors were examined, such as parents' socioeconomic status, educational attainment, and relationships with their children, as well as social context factors. The results of the study suggested the interconnectedness of the parents' beliefs with the status of the English language in Korean society and the role of family capital in supporting English language use at home. Several factors affecting bilingual parenting were also investigated, such as parents' language proficiency, available learning resources, and parents' consistency in parenting, and use of English as the medium of communication at home. The results may resonate with the experiences of many Korean parents who have been practicing home bilingual education or are planning to do so in the near future.
2007
This paper investigates how ethno-linguistic identity of linguistic minority children is constructed during their projects for bilingual learning. As a case study, six Korean children in a heritage language learning setting are recruited as participants. This paper adopts Focus Group Interviews as a qualitative data collection and critical discourse analysis as an analytic framework. The interview questionnaires consist of 16 questions in five categories: participants’ self-reflection, family support, socializing, schooling, and media contact/leisure. In addition, supplementary interviews with the children and their mothers were conducted. There are two major findings in this study. First, many of the participating mothers’ responses represent Korean immigrant parents’ double-layered educational goal for their children, which is rearing ‘ambicultural’ children. In this process, parents’ own racial attitudes or the value that parents place on teaching children about heritage history ...
Early Childhood Education Journal, 2011
This study examines what a Korean heritage language school means to Korean immigrant families and their children, considering Korean immigrant mothers' perspectives on American early schooling. As part of an ethnographic research project on Korean-American children's peer culture in a heritage school, seven mothers, two guardians (grandmothers), and their young children were observed and interviewed during one academic year. The analysis showed that the heritage language school functions as a social and emotional support system, a buffer for reducing the detachment from parents, and a safety net for the Korean-American children's challenging lives. The Korean immigrant mothers also showed that they felt burdened by different cultural views of their children's behaviors, and described how their children were often considered problematic. The social and culture barriers caused by their immigrant status profoundly influenced their reasons for sending their children to a Korean heritage language school. This study suggests that teachers' deep understanding of culturally different perspectives on children's behaviors, along with systematic social and emotional support, can help these children attain psychological well-being.
Language Culture and Curriculum, 2007
In this study we explore Korean immigrant parents’ attitudes toward heritage language maintenance for their children and their efforts to help their children maintain Korean as their heritage language in Montreal. Some implications for mainstream school policies and classroom practices are touched on briefly. Data were collected from nine Korean immigrant parents who had a child (or children) between the ages of 6–18 in 2005, using a questionnaire and interviews. The interviews asked about Korean immigrant parents’ attitudes toward heritage language and cultural identity maintenance for their children and attitudes toward the Korean language, the Korean community, and the Korean churches; four items designed to obtain information about parents’ efforts to help their children maintain the heritage language both at home and outside of the home were also included. The findings suggest that Korean immigrant parents are very positive toward their children’s heritage language maintenance. Korean parents believe that their children’s high level of proficiency in the Korean language would help their children keep their cultural identity as Koreans, ensure them better future economic opportunities, and give them more chances to communicate with their grandparents efficiently.
Korean Immigrant Parents' Involvement in Children's Biliteracy Development in the U.S. Context
Handbook of Research on Pedagogies and Cultural Considerations for Young English Language Learners, 2018
Drawing on the experiences of Korean immigrant families in the United States, this chapter highlights the importance of parental involvement in the bilingual literacy development of young English language learners. Findings of two projects on Korean parents' engagement in Korean and English language development at home are presented. These findings yield several insights into Korean immigrant parents' perspectives of and experiences in supporting their children's biliteracy development. This chapter suggests not only the importance of parental role but also the teachers' role in bilingual literacy development among young children. Suggestions for educators to support immigrant families to enhance their children's biliteracy learning are provided.
Language and Education, 2019
Canada has been largely relying on immigration for population growth. Consequently, early childhood education (ECE) programs in Canadian cities are becoming increasingly linguistically and culturally diverse. Yet, few studies have explored the experiences of immigrant families in ECE programs. This study explores the perspectives and experiences of Korean immigrant mothers in ECE programs vis-à-vis bilingualism. Through a focus group meeting and eight individual interviews, this study investigates how these mothers' language ideologies and attitudes are articulated in their discourses by asking these questions: 1) How did language play a role in the participating parents' ECE program selection?; 2) Which language do participating parents prefer for their children to acquire and what are the associated factors?; and 3) What did participating parents experience regarding educators' language views and practices? This study found that the Korean mothers hold pluralist language ideologies, expressing their desire for their children's success in and integration into the mainstream society, and for their ethnic identity and family relationship preservation. Simultaneously, the participating mothers reported the English-only principle of ECE programs, which suggests the latter's assimilationist view. The author discusses the common misconception related to this view, the maximum exposure hypothesis, and highlights implications for immigrant parents and educators.