Language and Identity: Perspectives of Chinese Parents in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

Aotearoa New Zealand has a high population of migrants with diverse language and cultural backgrounds. Its national early childhood curriculum recognises the importance of home languages in supporting the construction of children’s healthy sense of identity, highlighting a connection between language and identity. This chapter draws from the theoretical positionings of identity to analyse data collected from an empirical study involving a group of Chinese migrant parents whose children were enrolled in early childhood education. During individual interviews, the participants expressed aspirations for their children to retain their Chinese identity and ability to communicate using their heritage language. Nonetheless, the identities they chose for their children were nuanced and fluid, and their expectations of children’s Chinese language and literacy abilities were flexible and compromising. This paper discusses and theorises the complex and layered interrelationships between identity choices and family language policies and practices. Findings have implications for language education policies and pedagogies.