Inspiring Bilingualism: Chinese-Canadian Mothers' Stories

Abstract

The experience of Chinese mothers who pass on their native language to their children with partners who do not speak the native language, has not been explored in the literature. Consequently, the research puzzle, using a narrative inquiry approach is, “What are the lived experiences of bilingualism from the perspective of Chinese-Canadian mothers who have passed on their native language to their children?” Five common threads emerged as (1) mother’s pride in bilingualism, (2) bilingualism matters despite the absence of emotional connection with our mothers, (3) mothering with intention, (4) linguistic hopes and dreams for our bilingual children, and (5) determination to raise our children as bilingual beings. There were also two differing threads: (1) the bilingual education of our children, and (2) angst in passing on the language. The discussion, conclusion, limitations, and future directions complete this research expedition.