“Chinese Czechs? No, I prefer Wenzhou Czechs.”

This study employs a multi-method qualitative approach, incorporating interviewbased language biographies and eight months of field observation, to document the dynamic evolution of the family language policy (FLP) of a Chinese diaspora family in the Czech Republic, including how the family members envisage future policies. Utilizing Language Management Theory (LMT) instead of Spolsky’s tripartite model, the research integrates perspectives from both parents and children. By combining retrospective reflections on the family’s LP, anticipatory perspectives influenced by marital patterns, and participant observations of current language practices, the study offers a comprehensive, dynamic, and cyclical understanding of the FLP development process. In contrast to the typical shift from Fangyan to Putonghua observed in mainland China, we reveal a reversed language shift, from Putonghua to Fangyan, within the diasporic context. Moreover, our results highlight the agency of children in navigating and addressing language-related challenges, as well as the vulnerabilities and difficulties faced by Chinese diaspora families in maintaining Fangyan rather than Putonghua as their heritage language. From a practical perspective, this research provided the family with an opportunity to critically reflect on the formulation, implementation, and adjustment of their FLP, which they had previously overlooked, while fostering a heightened awareness of the importance of planning for future FLP development

Agency (philosophy) · Argument (complex analysis) · Czech · Diaspora · Field (mathematics) · Field research · Language policy · Qualitative research · Diaspora, migration, transnational identity · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Multilingual Education and Policy