Heritage language maintenance of Chinese immigrant families: Perceptions, practices, and challenges

Abstract

ABSTRACT Drawing on sociocultural theories of language and literacy practice and Curdt-Christiansen’s theoretical framework of family language policy (FLP), this multiple case study investigates the perceptions, practices, and challenges regarding heritage language maintenance (HLM) of Chinese immigrant families in a mid-sized Midwestern American city. The findings demonstrate that both parents and children valued HLM primarily for family communication and bilingual education for Chinese and English. The families established explicit and implicit FLPs and employed various resources for HLM, but had limited external resources except for a community Chinese heritage school. The families faced challenges, including limited time and energy, along with their children’s difficulty maintaining motivation for learning Chinese.