A Chinese Australian family’s language use and attitudes

This paper presents a qualitative case study of a Chinese Australian family’s multilingual experiences in Melbourne. Couched in the framework of family language policy, I examine language shift patterns and mother tongue attitudes and analyse reasons and consequences. The findings show that the first generation uses Mandarin for general family communication, while relegating regional Chinese to functions that are, typically, private and familial and for use with older generations. The second generation uses English the most. While their Mandarin use is enhanced through community-based schooling and can be activated depending on the communicative environment, regional Chinese does not play an active role. This nested, hierarchical ecology of language shift with two dominant language constellations causes parental confusion about the children’s mother tongue and problematises grandparent-grandchild communication with a possible decrease of family intimacy.

本文基于一项关于澳大利亚墨尔本华裔家庭多语语言经历的质性案例研究。该研究运用家庭语言政策理论，分析了家庭环境中的语言迁移特点和母语态度、形成原因及其影响。在该案例中，第一代澳大利亚华人以汉语普通话为家庭交流媒介，地域方言的功能仅存于第一代移民与长辈之间且话语功能限于家庭亲密关系。第二代澳大利亚华裔儿童以英语为主要家庭语言，其汉语普通话能力通过社区语言教育得以加强巩固，特定的言语交流环境可调动儿童的普通话使用。然而，和第一代澳大利亚华人相较，地域方言在华裔儿童的语库中并不活跃。本研究显示了此具有嵌套式、层级式特点的语言迁移生态：两主导语言攒聚现象。该语言迁移导致父母对华裔儿童母语概念的困惑、儿童和祖父母沟通障碍；家庭亲密关系由此可能会受到消极的影响。