FAMILY LANGUAGE POLICY: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY ON THE TURKISH IMMIGRANTS IN BELGIUM

Date

2023-12-25

Author

KOÇ GÜZELCAN, EDA

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Centered on the dynamic linguistic and cultural shifts induced by immigration, this qualitative case study aimed to explore the language policies of nine Turkish immigrant families in Belgium, contextualizing their migration and integration into a multilingual society and primarily focusing on their experiences within the Family Language Policy theoretical framework of Spolsky. By employing the principles of qualitative case study, the research involved demographic information questionnaire and semi-structured one-on-one interviews with a total participation of 15 parents and nine adolescents. The thematic data analysis revealed the evolving nature of language practices among these families, characterized by a balance between maintaining the Turkish language and adopting French and Flemish. The results further highlight the role of language ideologies in shaping the family language practices. While there is a strong dedication to preserving heritage language Turkish, there is also an acknowledgment of the importance of local languages for effective integration into Belgian society. Various language management strategies employed by the families are explored, ranging from direct intervention to more passive, supportive methods. While focused on the Belgian context, the findings have broader implications for understanding the sociolinguistic dynamics of immigration, inter-generational differences, and language identity across different immigration contexts.

Subject Keywords

Family Language Policy, Heritage Language, Immigrant, Language Ideologies, Language Management, Language Practices

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/107582

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis