Translanguaging in the Family Context: Evidence from Cyprus, Sweden and Estonia

• Published in: Vestnik Rossijskogo universiteta družby narodov. Seriâ Lingvistika Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 619 - 641
• Main Authors: Karpava, Sviatlana, Ringblom, Natalia, Zabrodskaja, Anastassia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) 01.01.2019
• Subjects: bilingualism; code-switching; Education and Learning; minority language; multilingualism; Russian; Utbildning och lärande
• ISSN: 2312-9182; 2312-9212; 2312-9212
• DOI: 10.22363/2312-9182-2019-23-3-619-641

The aim of this paper is to highlight translanguaging practices in the home among bilingual/multilingual Russian-speaking children and their parents in Cyprus, Sweden and Estonia. Multilingual families are the focus of our research: 50 in Cyprus, 20 in Estonia and 50 in Sweden. Using parental written question- naires with the focus on general background, socio-economic status and language proficiency, as well as oral semi-structured interviews and ethnographic participant observation, our study attempts to describe how family language policy is managed through translanguaging and literacy activities in multilingual Russian-speaking families in three different cultural and linguistic environments. Our results show both differences and similarities among Russian-speakers in the three countries, not only in their family language practices, but also in their attitudes towards the fluidity of language, language repertoires, translanguaging and Russian-language literacy. Russian-speakers incorporate a wide range of language repertoires in their everyday lives. Sometimes, such language contacts generate power struggles and the language ideological dimension becomes a key terrain to explore how speakers feel about the need to effectively attain a degree of multilingualism. Multilingualism and the maintenance of the Russian language and culture are usually encouraged, and parents often choose the one-parent-one-language approach at home. However, not all families make conscious choices regarding specific language management and may have “laissez-faire” attitudes to the use of languages in the family. We show how family language use and child-directed translanguaging can support, expand and enhance dynamic bilingualism/multilingualism, and reinforce and integrate minority language in a wider context: societal and educational.