Catching English: Constructing language choice between Tagalog–English bilingual siblings

Authors

  • Nicole Denise Salvador University of Alberta
  • Elena Nicoladis University of Alberta
  • Anna Patricia Nicole Diego University of Alberta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18192/olbiwp.v8i0.2116

Keywords:

heritage languages, siblings, bilingual first language acquisition, language choice, code-switching

Abstract

In multicultural Canada, preserving heritage languages (HLs) is an issue for many immigrant families. Many parents want to maintain their HL with their children, but do not necessarily speak it consistently at
home. In addition, older siblings may start speaking the HL less once they start school. This study examined the language choice among Tagalog–English bilingual siblings in an English-majority setting. We expected to see greater use of English when at least one of the siblings was in school and when pretending to interact in public settings (like schools or restaurants) rather than private. The results showed that the children spoke mostly English regardless of whether they (or their sibling) were in school and regardless of context (public vs. private). We discuss possible reasons for these children’s high use of English.

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Published

2017-08-08

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