Abstract
Based on the findings of previous research conducted in Chinese-American children’s heritage language (HL) maintenance in large Chinese communities in urban settings, looking at positive parental attitudes, weekend Chinese schools, and interaction within local heritage language communities, the authors of this article investigated the contexts and outcomes of Chinese-language learning for second-generation Chinese-American children, in a small Southern United States college town. Research questions included: (1) What are the parents’ and grandparents’ attitudes about HL maintenance and efforts for passing on their HL to their children? (2) How consistent are parents’ and grandparents’ attitudes toward HL maintenance and their efforts of passing on HL to their children? What are reasons for the consistencies or inconsistencies? (3) Who has better learning outcomes, children who attending community Chinese-language school, or children taught by grandparents or parents? Results indicated that parents with higher education background and stay in the United State longer tend to have discrepancy between their attitudes and the real effort toward Chinese heritage language (CHL) maintenance. However, grandparents maintain consistency between their positive attitudes and the real effort regarding CHL maintenance. Grandparents’ heritage language communication supported children’s heritage language maintenance. Success of heritage language maintenance was determined more by children’s communicative need than by parental attitudes or schooling.
Highlights
Despite the best intentions to promote Chinese heritage language (CHL) maintenance, community Chinese-language schools [1, 2], Chinese parents [1, 3,4,5,6,7,8] and grandparents [9] come across many difficulties and hardships on the way to develop Chinese immigrant children’s competence of CHL even if in large Chinese communities
For the Chinese immigrant parents’ part, other study indicates that Chinese immigrant parents maintained strong positive attitudes toward CHL learning, such as willing to contribute considerable time, money and energy to assist their children to learn Chinese, they still failed to pass down their positive family language attitudes they themselves keep to their children [8]
Previous research noted the positive influence of Chinese bilingual education in the United States [66]
Summary
Despite the best intentions to promote Chinese heritage language (CHL) maintenance, community Chinese-language schools (both Saturday schools and after-school programs) [1, 2], Chinese parents [1, 3,4,5,6,7,8] and grandparents [9] come across many difficulties and hardships on the way to develop Chinese immigrant children’s competence of CHL even if in large Chinese communities. Researchers find out that as primary caregivers in International Journal of Education, Culture and Society 2020; 5(5): 100-114
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