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Positive attitudes are not enough: Minority language survival in the Canadian Prairies

Positive attitudes are not enough: Minority language survival in the Canadian Prairies. Jaya Nagpal & Elena Nicoladis University of Alberta. Why care about Minority language survival?. Visible expression of people’s ethnicity Parent-child relationships in immigrant families

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Positive attitudes are not enough: Minority language survival in the Canadian Prairies

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  1. Positive attitudes are not enough: Minority language survival in the Canadian Prairies Jaya Nagpal & Elena Nicoladis University of Alberta

  2. Why care about Minority language survival? • Visible expression of people’s ethnicity • Parent-child relationships in immigrant families • Cognitive benefits • Economic benefits

  3. Canadian context

  4. Multiculturalism within a bilingual framework • External services to people in both French and English • Balanced participation of English-speaking and French-speaking people in public services • Freedom of choice in the language at work

  5. Attitudes towards Minority groups and Minority Languages • Acceptance of multiculturalism and high tolerance for diverse cultural groups • Parents in immigrant families hold positive attitudes about Minority language retention.

  6. Language shift • 1st generation: Learn English but prefer to use ML at home • 2nd generation: Bilinguals, more fluent in English and prefer to speak English • 3rd generation: More fluent in English and use English at home

  7. Factors that prevent language shift • Family and people in the close social network • Media • Motivation to learn a Minority Langauge • Community organizations

  8. Context of this study • Edmonton, Canada • French is the second most commonly spoken minority language: 7.7% • South Asians: 1.9%

  9. Resources for learning French • Five elementary schools and 2 high schools aimed at teaching native French children • French immersion program in 15 schools • French language university programs • One French day-care center • Several French day-homes • Part-time preschool programs in French

  10. Participants • 34 French-speaking families • Average age of children: 3.5 years • Canadian citizens • Same mother tongue for parents: 45.5% • 31 South Asian immigrant families • Average age of children 4.3 years • Canadian citizens (62.3%), Immigrants (35.5%) • Same mother tongue for parents: 100%

  11. Research questions • Attitudes towards maintaining the ML • Language use at home • Choice of language of media for children • Involvement in activities in the minority language outside of home.

  12. Language Fluency

  13. Expectations for language use • What language you want that your children should speak with their children? • What language do you think that your children will speak with their children? • What language do you think your children will speak as adults?

  14. Expectations for language use • What language you want that your children should speak with their children? • What language do you think that your children will speak with their children? • What language do you think your children will speak as adults?

  15. Expectations for Language retention • Parents in both groups wanted their children to retain their ML • Parents in SA families were less hopeful than their French counterparts that they will be able to maintain their ML

  16. Expectations about language use

  17. Language choice of parents • In both groups parents prefer to talk to their children in their ML

  18. Language choice of parents

  19. Language choice of parents • In both groups parents prefer to talk to their children in their ML • French • Most parents talk to each other in the ML • SA • Most parents talk to each other in the ML

  20. Language choice of children • In both groups most children talk to their parents in the ML • More children in SA families use English when talking to their parents

  21. Language choice of children

  22. Language choice of children • In both groups most children talk to their parents in the ML • More children in SA families use English when talking to their parents • In French children talk to their siblings in ML but in SA families children talk to their siblings in English

  23. Language of media for children

  24. Results • Both groups had positive attitudes about ML survival • South Asians are less hopeful of retaining their ML • Perceived utility of a language • Support for a language in the outside community • Experience

  25. Results Cont.. • In SA families parents switch to English while talking to their children • Children show a preference for English in SA families • More exposure to ML media in French than in SA families • More exposure to ML activities in French families

  26. Suggestions for retaining ML • Motivating parents to make efforts to retain the ML • Providing media in ML • School boards can contract a person or agency for ML education as per the community needs • Setting up day-cares and day-homes in ML • Informal organizations for promotion of ML

  27. Expectations about language use

  28. Choice of language of parents

  29. Choice of language of children

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