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The Role of Parental Support and Family Variables in L1 and L2 Vocabulary Development of Japanese Heritage Language Students in the United States
Author(s) -
Mori Yoshiko,
Calder Toshiko M.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
foreign language annals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.258
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1944-9720
pISSN - 0015-718X
DOI - 10.1111/flan.12304
Subject(s) - vocabulary , psychology , pleasure , vocabulary development , reading (process) , heritage language , language development , home language , first language , conversation , language proficiency , developmental psychology , linguistics , mathematics education , pedagogy , communication , philosophy , neuroscience
Abstract This study investigated the role of parental support and selected family variables in the first (L1) and second language (L2) vocabulary development of Japanese heritage language (JHL) high school students in the United States. Eighty‐two JHL students ages 15–18 from eight hoshuukoo (i.e., supplementary academic schools for Japanese‐speaking children) were assessed for their L1 Japanese and L2 English vocabulary knowledge. Simultaneously, the students’ parents, at least one of whom was a Japanese native, completed a family background questionnaire. An exploratory factor analysis identified five components that the parents considered effective for supporting their children's language development: Japanese pop culture, reading for pleasure in Japanese, use of Japanese at home, reading to the child, and family conversation. Regression analyses revealed that reading for pleasure in Japanese positively predicted the students’ L1 Japanese vocabulary and that Japanese pop culture negatively predicted their L2 English vocabulary. L1 Japanese vocabulary was also predicted by students’ dominant language and parents’ goals for their children's achievement, whereas L2 English vocabulary was predicted by future residency plan, mother's self‐rated English proficiency, and home language use. In short, JHL students’ L1 Japanese and L2 English vocabulary development involves different family factors. Consequently, different approaches should be recommended to support HL students’ L1 and L2 development.