Child Agency in Family Language Policy: Reimagining Immigrant Parents' Perspectives and Educational Futures

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 7:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Community-based bilingual experiences rooted in el suelo y sustento de la familia.

Abstract

This study examines immigrant parents’ perceptions of their children’s roles in maintaining a heritage language (HL) and shaping family language practices. Grounded in the Family Language Policy (FLP) framework (Curdt-Christiansen, 2016; Spolsky, 2009), it explores how parents’ lived experiences and shifting transnational identities inform their views on children’s acquisition of home and societal languages. Based on qualitative interviews with ten Chinese- and Russian-speaking immigrant families, findings reveal that parents often underestimate children’s agency in co-constructing FLP and overlook the impact of their language ideologies on children’s linguistic futures. The study highlights the dynamic interplay between child agency, parental attitudes, and structural constraints, with implications for the development of equitable bilingual education policies.

Authors

• Izolda Savenkova, University of Maryland, College Park

• Xinhang Hermione Hu, University of Maryland

• Yige Zou, University of Washington