To successfully pass on a language to the next generations, there exists several forces that we need to consider:
Forces Against Mother Tongue Maintenance
I. Bilingual education is necessary in order to successfully foster bilingual skills
Studies show that, in order to equip a person with a language, proper language education is necessary. That is, children either go to school to learn a second language or stay at a country where the second language they wish to acquire is the official language of the country. Many people have a misconception that children can learn a second language at home through daily interactions. However, they will not be proficient enough to pass on their mother language to the third generation.
II. Child-rearing styles : children-centred / situation-centred parenting style
Children rearing style also possesses an influence to mother tongue maintenance. Researches discover that children are more easily to acquire language skills by imitating what their parent say. Moreover, they are more memorable for language of directions and commands. Parents adopting situation-centred parenting style are more likely to give commands and use directional wordings. It could then better foster the language ability of their children.
III. Socio-economic status of a family
It is found that a family with higher socio-economic status is more likely to successfully preserve their mother language. For families with lower social status, they tend to alter themselves, in terms of the language choice, in order to adapt to the society.
IV. Language and culture distance
Language and culture distance serve as a psychological and social factor, which indicate how close a person is to their ethnicity and native speaking environment. This factor could be measured by the level of assimilation of an individual to the new environment, the commitment to native culture, and the attitude towards status of languages…etc.
Forces Against Mother Tongue Maintenance
I. Bilingual education is necessary in order to successfully foster bilingual skills
Studies show that, in order to equip a person with a language, proper language education is necessary. That is, children either go to school to learn a second language or stay at a country where the second language they wish to acquire is the official language of the country. Many people have a misconception that children can learn a second language at home through daily interactions. However, they will not be proficient enough to pass on their mother language to the third generation.
II. Child-rearing styles : children-centred / situation-centred parenting style
Children rearing style also possesses an influence to mother tongue maintenance. Researches discover that children are more easily to acquire language skills by imitating what their parent say. Moreover, they are more memorable for language of directions and commands. Parents adopting situation-centred parenting style are more likely to give commands and use directional wordings. It could then better foster the language ability of their children.
III. Socio-economic status of a family
It is found that a family with higher socio-economic status is more likely to successfully preserve their mother language. For families with lower social status, they tend to alter themselves, in terms of the language choice, in order to adapt to the society.
IV. Language and culture distance
Language and culture distance serve as a psychological and social factor, which indicate how close a person is to their ethnicity and native speaking environment. This factor could be measured by the level of assimilation of an individual to the new environment, the commitment to native culture, and the attitude towards status of languages…etc.
When being interviewed, three interviewees all came across a question: Will you pass your mother tongue languages to your next generation? This question not only shows their wish for children to learn native languages, but also reveals their willingness to preserve their mother tongue.
Geeta's case
Geeta is eager to pass on the L1 language so that the next generation is connected to their culture and their ethnicity.
Geeta's case
Geeta is eager to pass on the L1 language so that the next generation is connected to their culture and their ethnicity.
"They shouldn’t be excluded from their community due to this language hindrance."
Tessie's case
Tessie's husband thinks that Filipino is a "domestic" language, which is inferior and causes language confusion. She then does not see a necessity for the next generation to learn Filipino as she thinks it is rarely used in Hong Kong.
Tessie's husband thinks that Filipino is a "domestic" language, which is inferior and causes language confusion. She then does not see a necessity for the next generation to learn Filipino as she thinks it is rarely used in Hong Kong.
"…. you can only use it when you go back to Philippines."
Ahmad's case
Ahmad prefers the next generation to learn mother languages, but not as a compulsory acquisition.
Ahmad prefers the next generation to learn mother languages, but not as a compulsory acquisition.
"As i'm settling in Hong Kong, I don't see there is an urge for my children to learn Urdu or Sindhi."
He thinks it is more than enough as long as his children can communicate well at home with their grandparents and within the Pakistani community. He requires them to understand native varieties, but not necessary to know how to speak.
Summing up...
We can see three interviewees have diverged attitudes towards mother tongue maintenance. The difference exists not only due to the four forces as mentioned above, but also as a result of the variations in family values, identity perceptions, and societal concerns.
Summing up...
We can see three interviewees have diverged attitudes towards mother tongue maintenance. The difference exists not only due to the four forces as mentioned above, but also as a result of the variations in family values, identity perceptions, and societal concerns.