Immigrant parents and children navigating two languages: A scoping review

Abstract

AbstractUpon initiating school, immigrant children begin to lose much of their heritage language (HL) abilities, resulting in the erosion of a common shared language with their parents. Although communication is fundamental to positive parent–child relationships, research on the effects of navigating two languages is missing from most family theories regarding immigrant populations. This scoping review provides a comprehensive overview of the literatures from family science, child development, communication, and applied linguistics regarding how immigrant families navigate the adoption of a host country's language and the maintenance of their HL, and how this process impacts parent–child relationships. Results indicate that (a) the literature is relatively small and underdeveloped; (b) there is a limiting focus on individual language proficiency rather than a dyadic or familial communicative process; and (c) child HL proficiency is strongly correlated with healthier parent–child relationships and child outcomes. Limitations and future directions are discussed.