ABSTRACT

Parental involvement is a crucial, but often, neglected factor for success in learning languages. A growing number of Canadian students from immigrant families attend French Immersion programs and bring additional languages to the classroom. Yet, the role of Eastern-European immigrant parents in their children’s French Immersion education, their beliefs about speaking multiple languages, and developing literacy practices at home across multiple languages are under-researched. Rooted in a plurilingual framework to examine parental beliefs and practices, this paper uses critical discourse analysis to present data collected via interviews and journals. The data show that immigrant parents demonstrate awareness and a rich variety of beliefs about their children’s plurilingual learning; they value French for instrumental reasons; and offer individual solutions for plurilingual literacy development. Implications for educators include valuing parental ‘funds of knowledge’ and acknowledging how neoliberal educational policies widen the gap between plurilingual homes and bilingual classrooms.

摘要

父母的参与是成功学习语言的关键，但常常被忽视。越来越多来自移民家庭的加拿大学生参加法语沉浸式课程，并将更多的语言带入课堂。然而，东欧移民父母在孩子的法语沉浸式教育中的作用、他们关于说多种语言的信念以及在家中发展多种语言的识字实践的研究不足。基于多语种框架来检验父母的信仰和实践，本文使用批判性话语分析来呈现通过访谈和期刊收集的数据。数据显示，移民父母对孩子的多语学习表现出意识和丰富多样的信念；他们出于工具性原因重视法语；并为多语识字发展提供个性化解决方案。对教育工作者的影响包括重视父母的“知识基金”，并承认新自由主义教育政策如何扩大多语家庭和双语教室之间的差距。