Immigrant Parents’ Perceptions of Their Children’s Language Practices: Afrikaans Speakers Living in New Zealand

Abstract

This paper reports on a study which investigated the language-related experiences of Afrikaans-speaking South African immigrants living in New Zealand. In-depth narrative interviews with 14 parents of children aged 18 and under were conducted in various geographical locations across New Zealand. The focus was on their perceptions of their children’s changing language practices. The primary aim of the study is not so much to account for the children’s linguistic changes, as it is to present their parents’ awareness of those changes and their emotional responses to what they observe. The data were the stories generated during the interviews. A content analysis of these shows that the parents in this study are deeply aware of the linguistic changes taking place in their children. They are also aware of what is going on linguistically within their own families and homes. Children, as members of these domains, are shifting to English and most, especially the younger ones, are experiencing Afrikaans loss (attrition), notwithstanding the strategies employed by parents to decelerate the process. Parents’ emotional responses to this situation are often conflicting, but they generally feel that any gains outweigh the losses.

Keywords:

• Afrikaans speakers
• immigrant parents
• New Zealand
• language shift