Disciplines
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Children's and Young Adult Literature | Literature in English, North America, Ethnic and Cultural Minority
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Recent studies suggest that trilingual families in the United States are experiencing limited resources due to failing efforts to promote heritage language (HL) maintenance, diversity, and language rights both nationally and locally. Using a case study methodology, this paper will address obstacles identified in an interview with an Arabic speaking mother raising a trilingual child along with a Greek speaking partner while living in a monolingual society (U.S.). There is a need to uncover complex language practices and issues that different trilingual groups in the United States experience in order to preserve their heritage languages (HL) and cultures. Qualitative data was based on a survey and a 70-minute long virtual interview conducted in 2022. Our case study analysis reveals that the child lacks cultural context to both HLs when learning them in a monolingual society. Nonetheless, our findings suggest that there seems to be a link between emotional investment and language development. The child’s closer relationship with the father’s family reports a faster HL acquisition and retention as opposed to the distant and limited interaction with the mother’s family. Additionally, data suggests that the child found it hard to build his own identity without the help of others who share the same cultures. This research aims to contribute to language policy reform nationally, which is necessary to provide children from diverse backgrounds in the United States with an inclusive, integrated education.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
Department of Education
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Jayoung Choi
Included in
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons, Literature in English, North America, Ethnic and Cultural Minority Commons
Trilingualism in the United States: A case study of an Arabic and Greek household
Recent studies suggest that trilingual families in the United States are experiencing limited resources due to failing efforts to promote heritage language (HL) maintenance, diversity, and language rights both nationally and locally. Using a case study methodology, this paper will address obstacles identified in an interview with an Arabic speaking mother raising a trilingual child along with a Greek speaking partner while living in a monolingual society (U.S.). There is a need to uncover complex language practices and issues that different trilingual groups in the United States experience in order to preserve their heritage languages (HL) and cultures. Qualitative data was based on a survey and a 70-minute long virtual interview conducted in 2022. Our case study analysis reveals that the child lacks cultural context to both HLs when learning them in a monolingual society. Nonetheless, our findings suggest that there seems to be a link between emotional investment and language development. The child’s closer relationship with the father’s family reports a faster HL acquisition and retention as opposed to the distant and limited interaction with the mother’s family. Additionally, data suggests that the child found it hard to build his own identity without the help of others who share the same cultures. This research aims to contribute to language policy reform nationally, which is necessary to provide children from diverse backgrounds in the United States with an inclusive, integrated education.