Family Language Policy and the Dynamics of Language Choice: Sociolinguistic Foundations and Conceptual Perspectives
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This theoretical article explores language choice as a central, multidimensional mechanism in the formation and functioning of family language policy (FLP), particularly within bilingual and multilingual households.Building on sociolinguistic, psycholinguistic, and ideological frameworks, it conceptualizes language choice not merely as a communicative decision but as a socially embedded, emotionally charged, and ideologically mediated practice.The article critically synthesises classical and contemporary FLP theories, examining how macro-level language ideologies and state policies intersect with micro-level parental decisions, emotional orientations, and intergenerational identity work.Special emphasis is placed on the Ukrainian sociolinguistic context, where forced migration, war, and the legacy of Russification have dramatically reconfigured linguistic hierarchies and family language practices.Drawing on recent research, including studies by the author, the analysis demonstrates how language choice becomes a space of symbolic resistance, national realignment, and identity consolidation for Ukrainian families.It highlights the emergence of phenomena such as "language shame" and affectively motivated language shift, particularly in situations where Russian and Ukrainian coexist in emotionally asymmetrical ways.The article offers a conceptual model of language choice that integrates three interdependent dimensions: (1) the ideological, reflecting perceptions of legitimacy and political meaning; (2) the affective, encompassing emotional investments and attachments to language; and (3) the strategic, involving the functional and future-oriented planning of children's linguistic repertoires.Language choice is thus framed as a mediating mechanism through which broader sociopolitical forces are internalized, negotiated, and enacted within the family.This work contributes to the theoretical development of FLP by foregrounding the emotional and symbolic weight of language choice, especially in post-conflict and displaced contexts.It provides a lens through which to better understand how multilingual families respond to instability, adapt to shifting sociolinguistic landscapes, and shape their linguistic futures in times of uncertainty.
Source: Lviv Philological Journal
Author: O. V. Shevchuk-Kliuzheva
Language: English
Subfield: Linguistics and Language
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4412923695