Raising Multilingual Children: Everyday Language Realities of Transnational Families in the U.S.

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 2:15 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Autoethnographies of Multilingualism: Identity, Family, and Critical Language Pedagogy in Transnational Contexts

Abstract

Multilingualism shapes how people live, learn, and connect across cultures. As two multilingual mothers and researchers who immigrated to the U.S., we share how we raise children surrounded by multiple languages. One child grows up with Romanian, Turkish, and English, the other with Romanian and English. Using duoethnography, we collected data through mother conversations, child interviews, family observations, and children's artifacts. Our findings show that multilingual family life is flexible and shaped by everyday language use. Supporting children’s use of home languages, however “imperfect”, is more valuable than aiming for fluent, monolingual-like speech. Our children expressed both joys and struggles, highlighting the emotional depth and creativity in multilingual families. This research offers insights for families, educators, and communities.

Authors

• Elena Andrei, Cleveland State University

• Mihaela Gazioglu, Westfield State University