Families navigating two languages in a country built for one

Shared language erosion among Hispanic parents and youth

Bibliographic Data

ID2931845
AuthorsRonald B Cox (0000-0001-7389-4218, Oklahoma State University, corresponding author), Alma Arredondo-Lopez (Oklahoma State University), Maritza León-Cartagena (Oklahoma State University), Cristina Dorda (Independent researcher), Darcey K Desouza (0000-0001-7483-9325)
Year2025
Volume42
Issue8
Pages1849-1879
Publication date2025-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Social and Personal Relationships (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0265-4075 • E-ISSN: 1460-3608
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/02654075251332034
OpenAlexW4409355266
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited58

One often overlooked challenge for families migrating to the United States is the pervasive impact of heritage language loss among immigrant children and how this loss affects family functioning and youth psychosocial development. This challenge becomes even more problematic when considering that immigrant parents often make only modest gains in their English language abilities resulting in the erosion of a common shared language with which parents and children can communicate. The dyadic process of child heritage language loss and parental failure to make significant advances in English language skills has been called, "Shared Language Erosion" (SLE). To the extent SLE leaves parents and their children proficient in different languages, it poses a threat to their ability to form the meaningful relationships necessary for healthy family functioning and child development. To better understand SLE and its effect on immigrant families, this study reports on 24 Hispanic immigrant mother-child dyads' lived experiences with SLE through in-depth interviews. Findings indicate that: (1) SLE is an often-unnoticed characteristic of family communication, even among dyads experiencing severe SLE, (2) mother-child dyads with SLE communicate in different languages to each other but utilize tactics to overcome communication difficulties, including the use of other family members to translate between dyads, and (3) SLE can negatively impact mother-child communication

Developmental psychology · Education and experiences of immigrants and refugees · Multilingual Education and Policy · Psychology · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research · Social Psychology