International Journal of Behavioral Development
Volume 36, Issue 3, 2012, Pages 226-236

Transactional associations between supportive family climate and young children's heritage language proficiency in immigrant families (Article)

Park H.* , Tsai K.M. , Liu L.L. , Lau A.S.
  • a University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1563, United States
  • b University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1563, United States
  • c University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1563, United States
  • d University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1563, United States

Abstract

Heritage language (HL) proficiency confers developmental benefits; however, the onset of HL loss is observed among many young children from immigrant families. In this longitudinal study, transactional associations between children's HL proficiency and supportive family climate were examined in Chinese immigrant families with pre-school-aged children. Parental warmth, cultural maintenance values, and use of HL support were investigated as aspects of family climate. Measures included observable parent-child interactions and performance-based language proficiency assessments. While parental cultural maintenance values appeared influential, parental behavioral support of HL showed more robust prospective associations with children's HL development. Concurrently, children's earlier HL proficiency predicted subsequent parental behavior; parents whose children had limited HL proficiency decreased their use of HL support 1 later. Implications of the findings are discussed for immigrant parents with young children. © The Author(s) 2012.

Author Keywords

Chinese immigrants family climate heritage language development linguistic Parent-child interaction Parenting Longitudinal study

Index Keywords

immigrant longitudinal study Chinese human language ability mental performance controlled study family male preschool child prediction female inheritance psychoanalysis Article Social Environment Child parental behavior child parent relation parent
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84861804787&doi=10.1177%2f0165025412439842&partnerID=40&md5=82be45038ef82f3c64367650f80c8a2b
DOI: 10.1177/0165025412439842
ISSN: 01650254
Cited by: 15
Original Language: English