Abstract
The number of immigrant families in Canada and other Western countries has increased in the last several decades. Immigrant families face challenges in bringing up their children in a new country, such as different expectations from two different cultures, being away from their family and immediate support network, financial problems, and language limitations. One of the main concerns of most immigrant parents is their child's language acquisition. Language development is the most significant predictor of children’s success in school and later life. Regarding the vital role of language development in each aspect of life, it is essential to explore this growing population's experiences and challenges related to their children’s language acquisition. This qualitative study benefited from a narrative inquiry for representing and interpreting an immigrant mother's experiences and challenges in bringing up a bilingual child in Canada. This paper addresses the multiple conflicts affecting immigrant parents' decision to bring up a bilingual or monolingual child. Some of immigrant parents' main concerns, including passing on their accents, code-switching, language delays, limited social interactions and using screen time for teaching language are discussed in this paper. 
Highlights
The study of young bilingual children's language development has seen a significant surge in interest among researchers
This increase is related to two primary factors: first, a growing awareness of bilingualism's importance because of the increasing number of bilingual children around the world and, second, the increased interest in language acquisition studies in general (Schwartz et al, 2016)
The first step for immigrant parents is to decide on whether to bring up a bilingual or monolingual child considering the costs and benefits of bilingualism, as the several first years are important in children's language acquisition
Summary
The study of young bilingual children's language development has seen a significant surge in interest among researchers. Children's early experiences with language input are critical to their language acquisition (Snow, 1995) which has a significant role in many aspects of children's lives, such as their educational pathway and career development during adulthood (Kieffer, 2012; Lee, 2011) During this time, most children have the most interaction with their parents or caregivers. Writing difficult stories is a gift to self, as they provide an opportunity to build meaning in life and to heal or grow from our pain (Ellis, 2007) Before discussing this special issue, I explore the narrative inquiry methodology and explicate the practice of narrative inquiry
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
