SuS 2024 brochure public (1) - Flipbook - Page 30
Tour of Komárno, Slovakia and Komárom, Hungary
Thursday 29 Aug | 15:30
We will embark on a tour of Komárno in Slovakia and Komárom in Hungary, two cities
divided by the Danube River. This exploration will look into the shared history of these cities,
with a particular focus on bilingualism and the everyday use of language. The tour will also
examine the coexistence of multiple languages within a single space, providing insight into
how these communities navigate their linguistic and cultural diversity.
Multilingual family language policies and the intergenerational
transmission of minority languages
Ruth Kircher
Friday 30 Aug | 09:30-11:00
Intergenerational transmission is generally considered crucial for the maintenance and
(re-)vitalisation of minority languages. In recent years, the family language policy (FLP)
framework has emerged as an effective approach to the study of multilingual child-rearing,
and especially intergenerational minority language transmission. Based on Spolsky’s more
general language policy framework, FLP research focuses on three components: language
beliefs, language practices, and language management. But what exactly falls under each of
these FLP rubrics? How are they connected with each other? And what FLP patterns can be
observed across minority language contexts? In this session, we will trace the development
and expansion of the FLP framework, considering case studies from North America (where
the framework was conceived) and Europe (where it is now burgeoning). The main focus will
be on heritage languages in Quebec as well as Frisian in Germany and the Netherlands. We
will explore how official policies shape FLP patterns – and consider the practical implications
that these patterns have for future policies to promote minority language maintenance and
(re-)vitalisation.
Recommended preparatory readings:
Ballinger, S., Brouillard, M., Ahooja, A., Kircher, R., Polka, L., & Byers-Heinlein, K.
(2022). Intersections of official and family language policy in Quebec. Journal of
Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 43(7), 614–628.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2020.1752699
King, K. A., Fogle, L., & Logan-Terry, A. (2008). Family language policy. Language
and Linguistics Compass, 2(5), 907–922. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749818X.2008.00076.x
Kircher, R. (2022). Intergenerational language transmission in Quebec: Patterns
and predictors in the light of provincial language planning. International Journal
of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 25(2), 418–435.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2019.1691499
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