Translanguaging in Family Communication

Hungarian American Parents’ Perspectives

Bibliographic Data

ID22158479
AuthorsJanka Szilágyi (0000-0002-6185-7054, SUNY Brockport), Tünde Szécsi (0000-0002-1712-8954, Florida Gulf Coast University)
Year2023
Volume16
Pages143-162
Publication date2023-09-06
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHungarian Cultural Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2471-965X • E-ISSN: 2471-965X
PublisherUniversity Library System, University of Pittsburgh (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.5195/ahea.2023.511
OpenAlexW4386470701
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited34

This paper reports on a phenomenological study that examined Hungarian American parents’ perceptions and practices related to translanguaging—a systematic scaffolding strategy that utilizes multiple linguistic repertoires to facilitate competence and performance in two or more language—in family communication. We used semistructured interviews with questions related to language use, parents’ reactions to translanguaging, and their perceptions of why and how translanguaging occurs in oral and written family communications. The participants included twelve Hungarian American families with adolescent children who used the Hungarian language in family communication. The findings indicated that most families found translanguaging natural and positive, and these families used supportive and constructive behaviors when translanguaging happened. A few parents rejected the practice of translanguaging when the communication took place in Hungarian, which indicated monoglossic language ideologies. These divergent views of family language policy were often explained by the familial, social, and cultural contexts of the families. Because parents are the main stakeholders in language maintenance, their perspectives and practices are essential. This paper contributes to our understanding of family language policies regarding translanguaging and offer recommendations for a minority language community, the Hungarian American immigrant community, for which translanguaging is not well researched. [email protected]

Constructive · Linguistics · Pedagogy · Sociology · Translanguaging · Computer Science · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Multilingual Education and Policy · Psychology · Second Language Learning and Teaching

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