Abstract
In this study, we analyze interview data from 17 mothers of Arabic-English multilingual families to examine their experiences of maintaining their children’s Arabic language development during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were interested in exploring the challenges they faced during the pandemic and their responses to those challenges with the resources available. Following a constant comparative method, our data analysis demonstrated that four main factors have impacted Arabic-English multilingual Muslim families’ language policies during the pandemic, i.e. (1) inner-family dynamics, (2) school closures, (3) children’s agency, and (4) family safety and wellbeing. Responding to those factors, participants’ family language policies were guided by their commitment to Arabic as the language of Islam (i.e. performing religious practices and maintaining connection with the written Islamic heritage) and as an indispensable component of their children’s ethno-religious identities. During the lockdown, when their children could not attend Arabic tutoring, mothers developed new strategies to support their children’s language socialization (e.g., Halaka, more frequent family visit, online tutoring). When schools switched to online learning, their children had more time to spend at home, which most mothers used as an opportunity to have their children practice Arabic more and, in some cases, conduct daily Arabic literacy tutoring at home. All those mothers’ creative responses to COVID-19 challenges were complexified by children’s agency and concerns about family safety and wellbeing.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to the Multilingua special issue guest editors (Dr. Fatma Said and Dr. Kristin Vold Lexander) for inviting us to submit this manuscript and to the chief editor Dr. Eva Codó and the peer reviewers for providing feedback on its earlier versions. Additionally, we extend our gratitude to all 17 mothers who took part in this project and shared their experiences with us.
Interview Protocol
Interview 1
Thank you for agreeing to participate in this study. To begin with, I’ll ask you some demographics questions to fill out the form before we move on to the interview:
Which language would you like to conduct this interview in?
Where were you born? What’s your country of origin?
Date of Arrival to the US:
[if they moved here from another country] Why did you move to the US?
What cities/states have you lived in before San Antonio?
Age:
Gender:
Ethnicity:
Marital Status:
If married, is your spouse an Arabic speaker? What’s your spouse’s country of origin?
Number of Children:
Age/Grade level of Children:
Employment Status:
What languages do you speak [PAUSE] (in what social contexts)?
How did you learn those languages? [PAUSE] Could you tell me about your experiences learning English/Arabic/Other?
What languages do you speak at home?
What languages do you expect your children to speak/learn?
What policies/rules do you and your spouse have at home to support your children’s language development?
How did you come up with those rules/policies? [I would invite/encourage the participant to tell stories.]
What successes have you experienced enforcing those rules/policies with your children? [I would invite/encourage the participant to tell stories.]
What challenges have you experienced enforcing those rules/policies with your children? [I would invite/encourage the participant to tell stories.]
Arabic speaking versus literacy
Interview 2
In your opinion, what are the advantages/disadvantages of immigrants to preserve their culture and language in the host country?
In your opinion, what are the reasons that contribute to either preserving or losing one’s heritage language and culture in the host country?
What informs your language use at home?
As a parent, how do you see your role in controlling what language you and your family use at home?
Do you have family back home? If yes, how often do you talk to your family back home?
What technological tools are you using to support your children’s Arabic language development?
Interview 3
Could you explain your kids’ Arabic literacy practices before the pandemic?
What are some challenges you and your kids face due to the pandemic (e.g., the consequences of the lockdowns and online teaching)?
How did you deal with those challenges?
How did your language policies and practices shift during the pandemic?
Let’s say hypothetically that the pandemic is over, how do you think your future Arabic practices will look like?
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