Children's Agency in Language Choice: A Case Study of Two Japanese-English Bilingual Children in London

Autor/in	Gyogi, Eiko
Titel	Children's Agency in Language Choice: A Case Study of Two Japanese-English Bilingual Children in London
Quelle	In: International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 18 (2015) 6, S.749-764 (16 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1367-0050
DOI	10.1080/13670050.2014.956043
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Case Studies; Bilingualism; Japanese; Mother Attitudes; Code Switching (Language); Children; Semi Structured Interviews; Self Concept; Parent Child Relationship; Family Environment; Language Usage; Researchers; English (Second Language); Qualitative Research; United Kingdom (London) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Bilingualismus; Japaner; Japanisch; Mutterliebe; Child; Kind; Kinder; Selbstkonzept; Parents-child relationship; Parent-child-relation; Parent-child relationship; Eltern-Kind-Beziehung; Familienmilieu; Sprachgebrauch; Researcher; Forscher; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Qualitative Forschung
Abstract	This paper examines how children exercise their agency vis-à-vis their mother's beliefs and practices of bilingualism, especially code-switching, at home and elsewhere. The data were mainly collected through audio-recordings of family conversations both with and without the presence of the researcher and semi-structured interviews conducted during 19 visits to two families with Japanese-speaking mothers and 12-year-old English-Japanese bilingual children. An analysis of the data reveals that, despite there being a difference in language practices and backgrounds, both children discursively negotiate and construct their bilingual positions at home through their flexible use of the two languages. Furthermore, their language practices are not a passive response to their mothers' beliefs, but an exercise of their agency through contestation, negotiation and redefinition of the mothers' beliefs. In particular, this study has identified two types of agency: (1) construction of the positive self-image and negotiation of the parent-child relationship through the active use of English; and (2) resistance to the mother's monolingual policy through a flexible use of the two languages. The data also provide insight into the situated and multidimensional nature of agency by showing changes in the children's practices depending on the context, such as in conversations with the researcher. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01