Family Language Policies and Literacy Synchronicity: A Critical Case Study of Emergent Bilingual Families

• In Event: Valuing Community Cultural Wealth: Building on Family Language Policies and Knowledge for Learning

Abstract

This multi-site case study examines the literacy syncretism or the varied purposes, practices and resources that inform family language policies of emergent bilingual families in a new immigrant gateway state. Drawing from questionnaires, audio interviews, and video interviews, findings illuminate the creative resources and activities emergent bilingual families meld to meet immediate and more long-term needs and aspirations for their families and greater communities. Such literacy syncretism serves the social purposes of agency, identity, and transgenerational/transnationalism as emergent bilingual families nimbly adapt to the changing circumstances. Findings on literacy syncretism and family language policies will be incorporated into teacher preparation courses so teachers can identify, describe, and understand the syncretic nature of their emergent bilingual families’ language policies.

Authors

• Rong Zhang, Purdue University

• Annie Garcia, Purdue University

• Trish Morita-Mullaney, Purdue University