Family language dynamics – empowering speakers of majority and heritage languages

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Our project’s main objective is the transfer of researched-backed knowledge and insights on heritage language speakers gained in the research group RUEG and the development of educational resources, with a special focus on multilingual families and teachers of multilingual children and adolescents, including specific university courses for teachers. The main results are linked to non-canonical grammatical patterns, namely linguistic developments in heritage speakers’ production in both their languages, the role of communicative situations , and the impact of language contact on languages and speakers. The educational resources developed together with two application partners are geared to helping teachers and parents understand emerging grammatical patterns typical for multilingual and monolingual contexts, relevant for language acquisition, family language policy, and language socialisation. By providing parents and professionals with materials enhancing reflection about languages and addressing family language policy questions, we expect to successfully and effectively reach parents in contexts where they are particularly attuned to and interested in language issues concerning their children. The material and output of Pt consist of an open-access, multilingual website and curricula for sample workshops, covering five modules: M(1) basic knowledge about languages, language acquisition and use; M(2) how languages change in contact situations, specific findings from the RUEG languages; M(3) biographical experience of multilingual speakers; M(4) myths/discourse about languages in society, and M(5) researching one’s own language biography, family and community languages, also suitable for use in the classroom. In order to illustrate relevant phenomena, Pt will produce accessible texts and informational graphics, as well as audio features and videos in cooperation with non-academic partners. For those interested in using the resources, suggestions will be made on how to select and combine types of material for different target groups and official qualification programs of school boards, schools and certificate courses of universities. The modular structure and target-specific output of the transfer project will also be relevant for professionals in early childcare, social work, and medical professions. Our focus will be on Germany, with the possibility of sharing educational resources with partners outside of Germany.