The immigrant perspective: Eastern-European parental discourses about the value of French, plurilingualism and plurilingual literacy practices

MASSON, M., ANTONY-NEWMAN, M. and ANTONY-NEWMAN, Max (2022). The immigrant perspective: Eastern-European parental discourses about the value of French, plurilingualism and plurilingual literacy practices. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism.

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Abstract

Parental involvement is a crucial, but often, neglected factor for success in learning languages. A growing number of Canadian students from immigrant families attend French Immersion programs and bring additional languages to the classroom. Yet, the role of Eastern-European immigrant parents in their children’s French Immersion education, their beliefs about speaking multiple languages, and developing literacy practices at home across multiple languages are under-researched. Rooted in a plurilingual framework to examine parental beliefs and practices, this paper uses critical discourse analysis to present data collected via interviews and journals. The data show that immigrant parents demonstrate awareness and a rich variety of beliefs about their children’s plurilingual learning; they value French for instrumental reasons; and offer individual solutions for plurilingual literacy development. Implications for educators include valuing parental ‘funds of knowledge’ and acknowledging how neoliberal educational policies widen the gap between plurilingual homes and bilingual classrooms.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	French Immersion; parental involvement; plurilingualism; discourses; plurilingual literacy practices; immigrant parents; 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy; 1702 Cognitive Sciences; 2004 Linguistics; Languages & Linguistics
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2022.2079372
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Elements
Depositing User:	Symplectic Elements
Date Deposited:	04 Aug 2022 14:56
Last Modified:	24 Nov 2023 01:18
URI:	https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/30559

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