Saudi sojourners in the UK: Parental attitudes towards their children’s bilingualism and the effects of these attitudes on children’s heritage language proficiency and cultural identity

Abstract

This study aims to examine language attitudes of Saudi parents who are temporary residents in the United Kingdom towards their children’s heritage language (Arabic) and second language (English) use and beliefs regarding the effects of heritage and second language learning on their children’s sense of cultural identity. In addition, it aims to explore the effects of parental attitudes towards their children’s heritage language on children’s heritage proficiency and sense of cultural identity. This study was conducted using a mixed-method approach, including a parental attitudes questionnaire and a children’s interview designed to determine the children’s cultural identities. The sample was made up of 10 parents (four males and six females) and one of each parent’s children (three females and seven males, all aged between six and 12). All the children had attended a UK school for a minimum of two years. The results showed that Saudi parents hold positive attitudes towards their children’s Arabic and English language, and no significant difference was found between the two. However, a significant difference was found between their attitudes towards using Arabic and English at home versus in academic contexts. Saudi sojourners parents preferred their children use Arabic at home, whereas they preferred their children use English in academic contexts. In addition, parental attitudes towards their children’s heritage language showed no significant effect on their children’s heritage language proficiencies. Moreover, qualitative results revealed that these Saudi parents believed that heritage language and cultural identity are strongly related. However, they did not believe that learning English would affect their children’s senses of cultural identity. Moreover, these parents’ attitudes towards their children’s heritage language clearly affected their children’s cultural identities and children showed a strong sense of Saudi cultural identity and fixed Islamic principles.