Family language stories and second language learning : an ethnographic study of the influence of perceptions of family language history on second language learning

Abstract

This research explores students' stories about their family language histories and aims to understand how their understanding and perception of such stories influence their learning of Mandarin as a second language. Family language stories include accounts of family origins, background, and attitudes and practices with respect to language learning. My research is a qualitative, ethnographic study underpinned by the theoretical framework of constructivism. Case study is the method used to structure the research and collect the data. In this study, I focus on six Grade Six students who participated in a bilingual program offered by Morning Orchid Public School in Sydney, Australia in 2017. I interpret and analyse the relationship between these students' family language stories and their Mandarin learning outcomes. I describe some of the ways this influence can take place. The family language stories of these students confirm my intuition that family language stories and children's second language learning are related, as these students' stories can be shown to have influenced their learning outcomes in the study of Mandarin as a second language in very particular ways, albeit not all in the same way. I have identified three important patterns of such family stories that appear to have a significant impact on learning outcomes, namely, ethnic identity, mimetic desire, and the level of family interest in Chinese culture.

Date of Award	2018
Original language	English