Multiscalar research on family language policy and planning in China: commentary

Abstract

ABSTRACT This commentary foregrounds factors and tensions involved in intergenerational language socialization in Chinese-speaking communities and homes. Of particular interest is the manner in which younger generations in homes in which other Chinese dialects (fangyans) are spoken almost invariably seem to be shifting to Mandarin, and some of the consequences of that shift for language maintenance, cultural vitality and legitimacy, and intergenerational communication. Collectively, the reported research raises concerns about the relative status of different fangyans vis-à-vis the powerful standard variety, Mandarin, which is promoted heavily through media and language policies (as is English), in conjunction with both formal and informal education at different levels. Practical considerations favor the adoption of Mandarin to facilitate communication and successful social integration within large, diverse urban centers with a growing population of migrants from other regions and dialect areas of China. A more linguistically homogeneous Chinese population theoretically confers on individuals and society certain social, educational, and economic advantages, and thus potential opportunities for upward social mobility. However, the situation also raises deep concerns regarding cultural sustainability for ethnolinguistic and regional minorities and their rich traditions and heritage, and exposes vast social disparities within and across communities.