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How migrants' transcultural perceptions shape their children's bilingual language development: Insights from a
Caroline Barry1, Charlène Mafuta1, Hawa Camara1,2,3
1Team DevPsy, Paris-Saclay University, UVSQ, Inserm (National Institute of Health and Medical Research) U 1018, CESP, Villejuif, France.
Parental views on family and migration impact children's heritage language skills. Positive views on transgenerational transmission aid language development, while other positive perceptions may hinder it. Majority language skills were unaffected.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Linguistics
- Sociology
Background:
- Limited understanding of language acquisition in transcultural settings.
- Need to address specific needs of children in migrant families.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate links between parental transcultural perceptions and children's bilingual language skills.
- Analyze heritage and majority language acquisition in children of migrant parents.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 114 kindergarten children from migrant families.
- Assessed children's language skills (expressive and comprehension) using standardized scales.
- Collected parental data via semistructured interviews on migration perceptions and family dynamics.
Main Results:
- Positive perception of transgenerational transmission correlated with better heritage language skills.
- Positive perceptions of migration and extended family were linked to poorer heritage language skills.
- No significant association found between these factors and majority language skills.
Conclusions:
- Parental perceptions of migration and family dynamics significantly influence children's heritage language development.
- Further research is needed to understand bilingual learning mechanisms in transcultural contexts.
- Findings can inform clinical practices for supporting bilingual children.
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