But do they speak it? The intergenerational transmission of home-country language in migrant families in France

• Published in: Journal of ethnic and migration studies Vol. 42; no. 9; pp. 1513 - 1535
• Main Author: Soehl, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 14.07.2016; Carfax Publishing Company, Abingdon Science Park; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: acculturation; Adult children; Assimilation; Children; Families & family life; France; Immigrants; Intergenerational relationships; Intergenerational transmission; Language; Language usage; Migrants; Parents & parenting; Second generation; Socialization; France; ANE, France
• ISSN: 1369-183X; 1469-9451
• DOI: 10.1080/1369183X.2015.1126171

To what extent can immigrant parents transmit their home-country language to their children? Drawing on a recent national sample of children of immigrants in France, this paper examines the effects of parental language socialisation and exposure to the parental home country on language ability and language practices of their adult children. The data show that parental efforts at transmitting the language are necessary, but ultimately insufficient especially when it comes to language practices. Almost none of those who grew up without or with only minimal exposure to the parental home-country language use it. But even among those who had extensive exposure only a minority end up using it in their daily lives. The only domain where the second-generation uses the parental home-country language to a non-trivial degree is in the family context. In addition parental resources can have contradictory effects. While successful transmission of home-country language in the immigrant context requires significant resources, those parents who have these resources are less likely to try to pass on their language.