Family language policy in Italian transnational families in the UK: Influence of language ideologies on heritage language management

Abstract

This study investigates how parental language ideologies and attitudes shape Family Language Policy (FLP) in Italian transnational families in the UK. There has been an increasing interest in FLP research in recent years; however, the Italian community in the UK is under-studied. This exploratory study aimed at investigating how language ideologies in Italian transnational families affect language practices and management. The findings suggest that language ideologies such as the ‘bilingual advantage’ have a significant impact on language practices and management in the family domain. However, language ideologies are not always in line with language practices with conflicting language ideologies being more common in mixed marriage families. Additionally, the study offers new insights into the complexities of emotions surrounding FLP and bilingual upbringing as well as how parental future aspirations can shape FLP. Further research is suggested with regards to the role that siblings' dynamics can play on the negotiation of FLP as well as longitudinal research which will offer insights into the constantly evolving linguistic environment of transnational families.