Resurrecting a heritage language in the family: autoethnographic research with children

Fecha: 12 de abril de 2023
Hora: 12.00-13.00h.
Lugar: Sala de Graus, Facultat d'Educació i Psicologia de la Universitat de Girona
Inscripción: no

Dr Sabine Little is Senior Lecturer in Languages Education at the University of Sheffield. Her research focuses on the intersection of language, identity, and well-being, working holistically with children, families, and schools.

Toby Little is a secondary school pupil in Sheffield, currently in the penultimate year of compulsory education. He is a member of his school’s Equality and Diversity Committee and a published author. This year, he is undertaking official examinations in German and Mandarin.

This research project, conducted by a parent-child research team, focused on the reversal of familial language shift. Following a two-year hiatus between the ages of 4 and 6, Toby decided he wanted to speak German again, and to "research" the journey with his mother. Together, they explored a suitable methodology, settling on observational notes and joint reflections, in a study that spanned 2.5 years. The result, published in Little and Little (2021) and Little (2022), offers both methodological considerations about working with children as research partners, but also highlights important findings regarding how families may collaborate in the reversal of familial language shift. The talk will be presented by both Sabine and Toby Little (now 15 years old).

 Organitzat pel Grup de Recerca sobre cultura, educació, i desenvolupament humà