Presentation Title:
Exploring Sense of Belonging of a Korean American Bilingual Family through Family Language Policy

Presentation Options: Onsite

Presentation Strand: Family and Caregiver Engagement

Presentation Delivery Language: English

Description:

In this presentation, the emotional dimension of family planning research from the perspective of how it contributes to a sense of belonging and, more specifically, to the linguistic and socio-emotional well-being of bilingual adolescents will be shared. Through qualitative research methods, including semi-structured interviews and language mapping activities with one adolescent and her parents, the study reveals the importance of strong relationships, diverse and inclusive spaces, and agency in language choices for fostering a sense of belonging. This research offers a counter-narrative to previous negative emotions often expressed by adolescents in family language policy studies.  

Abstract:

This case study explores how family language planning can support a sense of belonging for bilingual adolescents. The study focuses on the experiences and language decision-making in a Korean bilingual family in a US mid-sized city. It offers three key contributions to existing research which usually concludes negative emotions around heritage language maintenance stemming from the adolescent perspective of family language planning. Firstly, it emphasizes the perspectives of both adolescents and parents, acknowledging the often overlooked agency of children in family language planning (FLP) research. Secondly, it presents a counter case to negative emotions commonly found in existing research, such as anger and frustration primarily experienced by adolescents, by examining factors that contribute to positive linguistic well-being. In contrast, it also reflects upon how parental experiences with language learning and the current sense of belonging impact the decisions made in family language planning. Lastly, it advocates for FLP research to embrace a 'multilingualism as a resource' approach, recognizing the benefits of bi/multilingualism and the holistic nature of bilingual development. In conclusion, this case study contributes to understanding emotional dimensions in heritage language learning and maintenance within a Korean bilingual family. The research offers constructive dialogue on family language planning by offering a more inclusive perspective, exploring positive aspects, and advocating for a multilingualism-oriented approach. 

Presentation Types: Academic-50m

Target Audience: PreK - 12

Primary Presenter's Telephone: 3523595337

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