1. Objectifs

Intentions :
This «study investigated the attitudes of Libyan immigrant mothers toward Arabic as their heritage language in Montréal and their efforts to maintain it in their school-aged Libyan-Canadian children. The overall objective of the study was to determine the role of mothers in Arabic maintenance and loss in their children.» (p. 4)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«[T]he central research questions that frame this study are as follows: […] What are Libyan immigrant mothers’ attitudes toward Arabic as a heritage language? […] How are these mothers involved in the language development and maintenance of their school-aged children?» (p. 54)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«[D]es données ont été recueillies auprès de six mères libyennes qui sont au Canada depuis au moins cinq ans et de dix de leurs enfants âgés de 7 à 12 ans […].» (p. 3) Ces femmes résident dans la ville de Montréal.

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien semi-directif

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

«The findings suggest that Libyan immigrant mothers are very positive toward the maintenance of Arabic in their children. The mothers played a significant role in their children’s heritage language maintenance or loss. Their language use in their homes was influenced by their proficiency in the majority languages in Québec which in return impacted the children’s language use. This may suggest the influence of Québec’s immigration, integration and language policies on the maintenance and loss of heritage language. The findings suggest that home language planning is essential to the maintenance of heritage language in immigrant families.» (p. 4) The analysis shows that all «the mothers perceived their home language as being closely related to their ethnic identity, an important heritage that connects the second-generation children to their extended families, home country, and culture.» (p. 88-89) «The mothers in [this] study […] believed that their children should maintain Arabic not only to keep order in their small families but also for their children to be able to communicate with their extended families in Libya […].» (p. 91) «Overall, these families showed stable and cohesive family dynamics and the parents seemed to agree on their different roles within their families, and they acted accordingly, which […] are factors that led to Arabic retention in their children.» (p. 102-103)