Parents’ perspectives on bilingual childrearing: Challenges and strategies in bilingual families
Abstract
Research objectives and problems: The aim of this article is to present the parental perspective on raising bilingual children in Polish-European families. It focuses on problems of parents’ experiences of the bilingual development process and identifies two new contributions: the bilingualism management circle and parental isolation in the Polish context.
Research methods: A qualitative, interpretative paradigm was applied. Narrative interviews with parents of bilingual families (10 families: Polish mothers and European fathers living in Poland) were analyzed using Schütze’s methodology to capture their unique perspectives on the challenges they face.
Process of argumentation: The analysis reveals how parents navigate raising bilingual children, including their emotions, attitudes, and strategies. New categories emerged, such as children’s fatigue from language switching, persistent parental anxieties despite using the “one parent, one language” (OPOL) model, and fathers’ difficulties in providing school support.
Research findings and impact on educational sciences: Parents perceive bilingualism as a family value and a form of socio-cultural capital. However, a gap exists between this ideal and reality, causing concerns about child development. As for the impact on educational science, parents apply a cyclical management process: setting priorities, implementing strategies, engaging in reactive problem-solving, and evaluating outcomes. There is thus a clear need for institutionalized support for the development of advanced skills and professional training.
Conclusions and recommendations: Systematic support for parents should be organized, including peer support groups and teacher training to recognize typical phenomena in bilingual development. Raising bilingual children should become a priority in Poland. The findings also show that even consistent OPOL application does not eliminate parental anxieties – a novel contribution to Polish literature.
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