ERIC Number: EJ1217836
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1367-0050
EISSN: N/A
Reaching out to Migrant and Refugee Communities to Support Home Language Maintenance
Eisenchlas, Susana A.; Schalley, Andrea C.
International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, v22 n5 p564-575 2019
Migrant and refugee parents considering raising their children in their non-mainstream home language often fear that this decision may impact negatively on their children's English language ability and thus affect their academic prospects. The lack of institutional support for home languages in the Australian school system, and the well-intentioned but misguided advice parents may receive to switch to the mainstream language in family interactions reinforce parents' doubts. To assuage parents' concerns and assist them in making an informed decision most appropriate for their family circumstances, we developed and delivered free workshops on bilingual upbringing. We also trained bilingual facilitators who adapted the workshops culturally and linguistically and conducted these in their own communities. This paper discusses these workshops, the feedback received, our observations, and lessons learned.
Descriptors: Refugees, Native Language, Language Maintenance, Bilingualism, Workshops, Immigrants, Child Rearing, Decision Making, Parent Child Relationship, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Feedback (Response), Foreign Countries, Parent Attitudes, Family Relationship, Cultural Awareness
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A