Abstract:

Despite the increasing number of linguistically diverse immigrants in the USA, more than 90 % of the population uses solely English for communication. Research also indicates that within three generations the heritage language (HL) is completely lost, often causing devastating consequences on immigrant children’s identities, family relationship, and academic accomplishments. Besides numerous well-researched factors, little attention was given to the effects of the use of media-technologies in families’ heritage language practices.

During the past decade technology has transformed our lives. The advancement and the availability of various media technologies has changed the way people live, work and communicate. Media sources have also been found beneficial for HL development. Among those are television programs in the HL, cartoons on video or DVD from the heritage culture, pop songs and audiobooks in the HL, video tapes for educational purposes, and the Internet (Cho & Krashen, 2000), DeCapua and Wintergerst, 2009, Park & Sarkar, 2007). In addition, media technologies such as email, social networking websites and Skype, a telephone and video calling service over the World Wide Web, carry new opportunities to connect immigrants with their families in the heritage country (Şenyürekli & Detzner, 2009). As a result, through becoming a part of each other’s virtual lives, families have enjoyed a day-to-day relationship with relatives and friends in the heritage country. Only a few studies (Elias & Lemish, 2008; Rydin & Sjoberg, 2009; Cho, 2008) have focused on parents’ strategies with media technologies, and the role of such technologies in guiding children to maintain their heritage language and culture. Also, little attention has been given to the efforts and strategies in media technologies, especially among Eastern European immigrants (Nesteruk, 2010).

Therefore, a study was conducted to delve deep into Hungarian – American families ' perceptions regarding the role media technologies play in their children's literacy development and maintenance of HL skills. One hundred families participated in the survey and ten families were interviewed for more in-depth insights.

Our analysis focused on whether family literacy practices are affected by:
(1) parents’ education and profession,
(2) children’s age,
(3) family structure, and
(4) parents’ perception of the importance about HL maintenance. In addition, interviews were analyzed to explore the approaches and practices with media technologies that Hungarian-American families use to help their children develop and expand literacy and language skills in HL.

This presentation will report on the perceptions of Hungarian – American families on the use of media technologies in the maintenance of the Hungarian language and culture. For educators and families, regardless of their country of residence, this presentation will provide new insights into strategies and practices for heritage language and culture maintenance through the family members’ eyes.

Keywords:

Media technologies, heritage language maintenance, literacy practices, Hungarian-American families.