Factors Challenging the Maintenance of Spanish as a Heritage Language in Italy: A Maternal View
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.ikala.358277Keywords:
language acquisition, Spanish as a heritage language, language development, heritage language speakers, heritage language, language maintenance, migrationsAbstract
In Italy, Spanish-speaking immigrants maintain their language of origin to pre[1]serve their cultural identity and communicate with their communities of origin. In this context, mothers are the first point of contact and the main resource for learning their children’s heritage language. This article reports the findings of a descriptive cross-sectional study of the factors influencing the maintenance of Spanish as a heritage language in families living in Italy, focusing on the language practices and means of contact used by mothers. We surveyed 175 mothers of Spanish-speaking youngsters aged 6 to 17 years to obtain information on linguistic practices, the importance given to maintaining their heritage language, and the degree of their children’s exposure to Spanish. The results show that the valuation of Spanish as a heritage language is linked to commu[1]nicative, cultural and professional reasons. Mothers with a higher educational level value Spanish as a heritage language more and promote it, through conversations and activities, thus reinforcing their children’s linguistic competence. The influence of mothers’ cultural capital on the transmission of Spanish is highlighted and it is suggested that multiple vari[1]ables, such as age and educational level, be taken into account in future research on the maintenance of Spanish as a heritage language in various diasporas.
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