IMMIGRANT PARENT vs. IMMIGRANT CHILDREN: ATTITUDES TOWARD LANGUAGE LEARNING IN THE US

Abstract

Interlocutors who come from different cultural backgrounds often find themselves in need of a shared language in order to successfully communicate. Sometimes the language they share may be the native language of one and the second language of the other, or it may be the lingua franca of both speakers. The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of immigrant families’ attitudes toward language learning in the United States. Developing second language proficiency in English is important for both social interaction and educational achievement of immigrant children in the US whereas their parents may have a different set of linguistic needs for social interaction or professional advancement. This research investigated perceptions of immigrant parents and children about second language learning by administering an attitudinal questionnaire developed by Henry & Apelgren (2008). Data were collected from both children and their parents in the Southeastern US, and analysis revealed that parents perceived their children’s attitudes toward second language learning to be more positive than the children’s actual attitudes.

Keywords

• Immigrant children, English as a Second Language, language learning attitude, elementary education

IMMIGRANT PARENT vs. IMMIGRANT CHILDREN: ATTITUDES TOWARD LANGUAGE LEARNING IN THE US

Öz

Farklı kültürel birikimlere sahip insanlar başarılı bir şekilde iletişim kurmak için kendilerini sıklıkla ortak bir dil ihtiyacı içerisinde bulurlar. Bazen paylaştıkları dil bir tanesinin ana dili veya bir başkasının ikinci dili olabileceği gibi, bazen de bu her ikisi için de geçerli olan bir uluslararası dil olabilir. Bu çalışma göçmen ailelerin Birleşik Devletler’de dil öğrenmeye karşı olan tutumlarını açıklamaya çalışmaktadır. İngilizce’de ikinci dil yeterliğini geliştirmek Birleşik Devletler’deki göcmen çocukların hem eğitim başarıları hem de sosyal etkileşimleri açısından önemli bir hal alırken, onların ebeveynleri profesyonel gelişimleri ve sosyal etkileşimleri için farklı dil ihtiyaçlarına sahip olabilirler. Bu araştırma, Henry & Apelgren (2008) tarafından geliştirilmiş olan bir tutum anketi uygulayarak göçmen ebeveynlerin ve çocukların ikinci dil öğrenmeyle alakalı tutumlarını incelemektedir. Güneydoğu Birleşik Devletler’deki çocuklardan ve onların ebeveynlerinden veri toplanmıştır ve analiz ortaya çıkarmaktadır ki ebeveynler çocuklarının ikinci dil öğrenmeye ilişkin tutumlarının onların gerçek tutumlarına gore daha olumlu olduğunu düşünmektedirler.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Göçmen çocuklar, İkinci dil olarak İngilizce, dil öğrenme tutumu, ilköğretim

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