Chinese Canadian Parents Supporting Dual Online-Offline Learning and Early Biliteracy During COVID-19 School Closures

• In Event: Partnering With Immigrant Families and Communities

Abstract

Based on the interviews with 178 Chinese immigrant parents of 208 K-2 children, this paper investigates how Chinese-Canadian families wrestled with a parallel transition from in-person instruction to a virtual environment in both mainstream and heritage language education and how they supported English-Chinese bi/multiliteracies at home during the transition. Thematic analyses show that the transition resulted in several adaptations and tensions in parental support for their children’s biliteracy development acting as dual language teachers and supporters online and offline. Findings revealed tremendous resilience among parents who made great efforts to maintain children's biliteracy development despite the challenging circumstances. The parents' practices offer important practical implications for policymakers, parents, and educators in the mainstream and heritage language institutions regarding biliteracy education post-pandemic.

Authors

• Guofang Li, University of British Columbia
  Presenting Author

• Zhen Lin, University of British Columbia
  Presenting Author