Research Article
A COMPARISON OF THE FAMILY LANGUAGE POLICIES OF THE FIRST AND SECOND-GENERATION TURKS LIVING IN GERMANY
Abstract
Adopting a mixed-method approach, this article investigated the differences in the family language policies of the first and second-generation Turks living in Germany under the categories of language ideologies, language practices, and language management as defined by Spolsky (2004). One hundred and two parents (54 first-generation and 48 second-generation) constituted the sample of the study. The findings indicated that both generations desire their children to be bilingual Turkish-German speakers but they differ in terms of their ideas concerning the onset of bilingualism. Starting school has an undeniable and formative role in the language choice of not only the children starting school but also their younger siblings highlighting the children’s agentive role in language use in the families. Furthermore, while both generations think that maintaining Turkish means the maintenance of Turkish identity, culture, and religion; concerns for children’s educational trajectories lead second-generation parents to prioritize German in their family language policies. Finally, no significant difference has been found concerning the language management activities of both generations.
Keywords
family language policy Turks in Germany language maintenance language ideologies language practices intergenerational language use
References
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- Ayten, A. C. and Atanasoska, A. (2020). “Turkish is a stepchild.” A case study of language policies in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany. Heritage Language Journal, 17(2), 156–179. https://doi.org/10.46538/hlj.17.2.3 
- Başkurt, İ. (2009). Almanya’da yaşayan Türk göçmenlerin kimlik problemi [The identity problem of Turkish immigrants living in Germany]. Hasan Ali Yücel Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi [HAYEF Journal of Education], 12(2), 81–94.
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- Bezcioglu-Göktolga, I. (2019). Family language policy among second-generation Turkish families in the Netherlands. (Doctoral Dissertation). Tilburg University.
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- Coskun Kunduz, A (2022). Heritage language acquisition and maintenance of Turkish in the United States: Challenges to teaching Turkish as a heritage language. Dilbilim Dergisi [Journal of Linguistics], 38, 41–60. https://doi.org/10.26650/jol.2022.1129254
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- Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. (2009). Invisible and visible language planning: Ideological factors in the family language policy of Chinese immigrant families in Quebec. Language Policy, 8(4). 351–375.
- Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. (2013). Family language policy: Realities and continuities. Language Policy, 12 (1), 1–6.
- Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. (2014). Family language policy: Is learning Chinese at odds with learning English in Singapore? In X. L. Curdt-Christiansen and A. Hancock (Eds.), Learning Chinese in diasporic communities: Many pathways to being Chinese (pp. 35–58). John Benjamins.
- Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. (2016). Conflicting language ideologies and contradictory language practices in Singaporean bilingual families. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 37(7), 694–709.
- Curt-Christiansen, X., Wei, L. and Hua, Z. (2023). Pride, prejudice, and pragmatism: Family language policies in the UK, Language Policy, 22(4), 391–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10993-023-09669-0
- DeCapua, A. and Wintergerst, A. C. (2009). Second-generation language maintenance and identity: A case study. Bilingual Research Journal, 32(1), 5–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15235880902965672
- De Houwer, A. (1991). Environmental factors in early bilingual development: The role of parental beliefs and attitudes. In G. Extra and L. Verhoeven (Eds.), Bilingualism and Migration (pp. 75–79). De Gruyter Mouton.
- Dekeyser, G. and Stevens, G. (2019). Maintaining one language while learning another: Moroccan children in Belgium. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 40(2), 148–163.
- Doyle, C. (2013). To make the root stronger: Language policies and experiences of successful multilingual intermarried families with adolescent children in Tallinn. In Mila S. and Anna V. (Eds.) Successful family language policy: parents, children, and educators in interaction, 145–175. Springer.
- Dörnyei, Z. (2011). Research methods in applied linguistics: Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodologies. Oxford University Press.
- Fillmore, L.W. (2000). Loss of family languages: Should educators be concerned? Theory into Practice, 39(4), 203–210. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip3904_3
- Fishman, J. (1991). Reversing Language Shift: Theory and Practice of Assistance to
- İstanbullu., S. (2021). The language policy of trilingual transnational families living between Antioch, Paris, and Berlin. Sociolinguistic Studies, 459–481.
- Juan–Garau, M. and Pérez–Vıdal, C. (2001). Mixing and pragmatic parental strategies in early bilingual acquisition. Journal of Child Language, 28, 59–86.
- Karpava, S. (2022). The Interrelationship of family language policies, emotions, socialization practices, and language management strategies. Journal of Home Language Research, 5(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.16993/jhlr.44
- Kheirkhah, M., and Cekaite, A. (2015). Language maintenance in a multilingual family: Informal heritage language lessons in parent-child interactions. Multilingua, 34(3), 319–346.
- King, K. and Fogle, L. (2006). Bilingual parenting as good parenting: Parents' perspectives on family language policy for additive bilingualism. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 9(6), 695–712. https://doi.org/10.2167/beb362.0
- King, K. A. (2000). Language ideologies and heritage language education. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 3(3), 167–184, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13670050008667705
- Kirsch C. (2012). Ideologies, struggles, and contradictions: an account of mothers raising their children bilingually in Luxembourgish and English in Great Britain. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 15(1), 95–112. https://10.1080/13670050.2011.607229
- Küppers, A., Şimşek, Y., and Schroeder, C. (2015). Turkish as a minority language in Germany: Aspects of language development and language instruction. Zeitschrift für Fremdsprachenforschung, 26(1), 29–51.
- Lanza, E., and Lomeu Gomes, R. (2020).Family language policy: Foundations, theoretical perspectives, and critical approaches. In Schalley, A. C., and Eisenchlas, S. A. (Eds.), Handbook of home language maintenance and development: Social and affective factors (pp. 153–173). De Gruyter Mouton.
- Larsson, E. (2022). Family Language Policies in English-speaking Families in Sweden: Insights into Bilingualism and Language Maintenance. Accessed 26 January 2024 at https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1685652/FULLTEXT01.pdf
- Little S. (2020). Whose heritage? What inheritance?: Conceptualising family language identities. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 23(2), 198–212. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2017.1348463
- Luykx, A. (2003). Weaving languages together: Family language policy and gender socialization in bilingual Aymara households. In Robert Bayley and Sandra Schecter (Eds.), Language socialization in bilingual and multilingual societies, pp 10–25. Multilingual Matters.
- Olfert, H., and Schmitz, A. (2018). Heritage language education in Germany: A Focus on Turkish and Russian from primary to higher education. In P. P. Trifonas and T. Aravossitas (Eds.), Handbook of research and practice in heritage language education (pp. 397–415). Springer.
- Oner, S. (2014). Turkish community in Germany and the role of Turkish community organizations. European Scientific Journal, 10(29), 72–88.
- Romanowski, P. (2021). A deliberate language policy or a perceived lack of agency: Heritage language maintenance in the Polish community in Melbourne. International Journal of Bilingualism, 25(5), 1214–1234. https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069211000850
- Sakın, B. (2018). Almanya Türklerinin dil tutumları üzerine toplumdilbilimsel bir araştırma [A sociolinguistic study on the language attitudes of Turks in Germany]. Current Research in Social Sciences, 4(1), 1–17. https://doi:10.30613/curesosc.337804
- Schüpbach, D. (2009). Language transmission revisited: Family type, linguistic environment, and language attitudes. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 12(1), 15–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13670050802149499
- Schwartz M. (2008). Exploring the relationship between family language policy and heritage language knowledge among second-generation Russian–Jewish immigrants in Israel, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 29(5), 400–418. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01434630802147916
- Spolsky, B. (2012). Family language policy–the critical domain. Journal of Multilingual, and Multicultural Development, 33(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2011.638072
- Spolsky, B. (2004). Language Policy. Cambridge University Press.
- Spolsky, B. (2021). Rethinking Language Policy. Edinburgh University Press.
- Tabachnick, B. G., and Fidell, L. S. (2013). Using Multivariate Statistics (6th ed.). Pearson.
- T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanliği Yurtdışı Türkler ve Akraba Topluluklar Başkanlığı (2022). Almanya Türk Diasporası Atlası [Atlas of the Turkish Diaspora in Germany], (1st ed).
- Venables, V., Eisenchlas, S. A. and Andrea, C. S. (2014). One parent-one-language (OPOL) families: Is the majority language-speaking parent instrumental in the minority language development? International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 17(4), 429–448. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2013.816263
- Yağmur, K. and Van de Vijver, F.J.R. (2011). Acculturation and language orientations of Turkish immigrants in Australia, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Journal of Cross-cultural Psychology, 43(7), 1110–1130. https://doi.org/101177/0022022111420145jccp.sagepub.com
- Zheng, Y. (2015). Family language policy of an English-Turkish bilingual family in Northern Cyprus: A case study. (Master’s Thesis). Eastern Mediterranean University.
- Zhu, Hua and Wei Li. (2016). Transnational experience, aspiration and family language policy. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 37(7). 655–666.
Year 2025,
Volume: 2025 Issue: 49, 566 - 587, 26.06.2025
Abstract
Karma yöntem yaklaşımını benimseyen bu makale, Almanya'da yaşayan birinci ve ikinci kuşak Türklerin aile dil politikalarındaki farklılıkları Spolsky (2004) tarafından tanımlanan dil ideolojileri, dil uygulamaları ve dil yönetimi kategorileri altında incelemiştir. Yüz iki ebeveyn (54 birinci nesil ve 48 ikinci nesil) çalışmanın örneklemini oluşturmuştur. Bulgular, her iki kuşağın da çocuklarının Türkçe-Almanca iki dilli olmasını istediklerini, ancak iki dilliliğin başlangıcına ilişkin fikirleri açısından farklılık gösterdiklerini ortaya koymuştur. Okula başlamanın sadece okula başlayan çocukların değil, aynı zamanda küçük kardeşlerinin de dil seçiminde yadsınamaz ve biçimlendirici bir rolü vardır ve bu da çocukların ailelerdeki dil kullanımındaki etken rolünü vurgulamaktadır. Ayrıca, her iki kuşak da Türkçeyi korumanın Türk kimliğinin, kültürünün ve dininin korunması anlamına geldiğini düşünürken, çocukların eğitim durumlarına ilişkin kaygılar ikinci kuşak ebeveynlerin aile dil politikalarında Almancaya öncelik vermelerine yol açmaktadır. Son olarak, her iki kuşağın dil yönetimi faaliyetlerine ilişkin önemli bir fark bulunmamıştır.
Keywords
aile dil politikası Almanya dil sürdürümü dil ideolojileri dil kullanımları kuşaklar arası dil kullanımı
References
- Aydın, Y. (2014). The new Turkish diaspora policy: Its aims, their limits and the challenges for associations of people of Turkish origin and decision-makers in Germany. SWP Research Paper 10. Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
- Ayten, A. C. and Atanasoska, A. (2020). “Turkish is a stepchild.” A case study of language policies in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany. Heritage Language Journal, 17(2), 156–179. https://doi.org/10.46538/hlj.17.2.3 
- Başkurt, İ. (2009). Almanya’da yaşayan Türk göçmenlerin kimlik problemi [The identity problem of Turkish immigrants living in Germany]. Hasan Ali Yücel Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi [HAYEF Journal of Education], 12(2), 81–94.
- Bezcioglu-Goktolga, I. and Yagmur K. (2017). Home language policy of second-generation Turkish families in the Netherlands. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 39(1), 44–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2017.1310216
- Bezcioglu-Göktolga, I. (2019). Family language policy among second-generation Turkish families in the Netherlands. (Doctoral Dissertation). Tilburg University.
- Bezcioglu-Goktolga, I., Yagmur K., and Backus, A. (2019). Survey: Family language policy of second-generation Turkish families in the Netherlands (Turkish and Dutch). Accessed 26 January 2024 at https://zenodo.org/records/10452338. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10452338
- Bezcioglu-Goktolga, I. and Yagmur K. (2022). Intergenerational differences in the family language policy of Turkish families in the Netherlands, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 43(9), 891–906. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2022.2036746
- Coskun Kunduz, A (2022). Heritage language acquisition and maintenance of Turkish in the United States: Challenges to teaching Turkish as a heritage language. Dilbilim Dergisi [Journal of Linguistics], 38, 41–60. https://doi.org/10.26650/jol.2022.1129254
- Council of Europe. (2023). About the Europian Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Accessed 26 January 2024 at https://www.coe.int/en/web/european-charter-regional-or-minority-languages/about-the-charter
- Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. (2009). Invisible and visible language planning: Ideological factors in the family language policy of Chinese immigrant families in Quebec. Language Policy, 8(4). 351–375.
- Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. (2013). Family language policy: Realities and continuities. Language Policy, 12 (1), 1–6.
- Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. (2014). Family language policy: Is learning Chinese at odds with learning English in Singapore? In X. L. Curdt-Christiansen and A. Hancock (Eds.), Learning Chinese in diasporic communities: Many pathways to being Chinese (pp. 35–58). John Benjamins.
- Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. (2016). Conflicting language ideologies and contradictory language practices in Singaporean bilingual families. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 37(7), 694–709.
- Curt-Christiansen, X., Wei, L. and Hua, Z. (2023). Pride, prejudice, and pragmatism: Family language policies in the UK, Language Policy, 22(4), 391–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10993-023-09669-0
- DeCapua, A. and Wintergerst, A. C. (2009). Second-generation language maintenance and identity: A case study. Bilingual Research Journal, 32(1), 5–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15235880902965672
- De Houwer, A. (1991). Environmental factors in early bilingual development: The role of parental beliefs and attitudes. In G. Extra and L. Verhoeven (Eds.), Bilingualism and Migration (pp. 75–79). De Gruyter Mouton.
- Dekeyser, G. and Stevens, G. (2019). Maintaining one language while learning another: Moroccan children in Belgium. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 40(2), 148–163.
- Doyle, C. (2013). To make the root stronger: Language policies and experiences of successful multilingual intermarried families with adolescent children in Tallinn. In Mila S. and Anna V. (Eds.) Successful family language policy: parents, children, and educators in interaction, 145–175. Springer.
- Dörnyei, Z. (2011). Research methods in applied linguistics: Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodologies. Oxford University Press.
- Fillmore, L.W. (2000). Loss of family languages: Should educators be concerned? Theory into Practice, 39(4), 203–210. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip3904_3
- Fishman, J. (1991). Reversing Language Shift: Theory and Practice of Assistance to
- İstanbullu., S. (2021). The language policy of trilingual transnational families living between Antioch, Paris, and Berlin. Sociolinguistic Studies, 459–481.
- Juan–Garau, M. and Pérez–Vıdal, C. (2001). Mixing and pragmatic parental strategies in early bilingual acquisition. Journal of Child Language, 28, 59–86.
- Karpava, S. (2022). The Interrelationship of family language policies, emotions, socialization practices, and language management strategies. Journal of Home Language Research, 5(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.16993/jhlr.44
- Kheirkhah, M., and Cekaite, A. (2015). Language maintenance in a multilingual family: Informal heritage language lessons in parent-child interactions. Multilingua, 34(3), 319–346.
- King, K. and Fogle, L. (2006). Bilingual parenting as good parenting: Parents' perspectives on family language policy for additive bilingualism. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 9(6), 695–712. https://doi.org/10.2167/beb362.0
- King, K. A. (2000). Language ideologies and heritage language education. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 3(3), 167–184, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13670050008667705
- Kirsch C. (2012). Ideologies, struggles, and contradictions: an account of mothers raising their children bilingually in Luxembourgish and English in Great Britain. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 15(1), 95–112. https://10.1080/13670050.2011.607229
- Küppers, A., Şimşek, Y., and Schroeder, C. (2015). Turkish as a minority language in Germany: Aspects of language development and language instruction. Zeitschrift für Fremdsprachenforschung, 26(1), 29–51.
- Lanza, E., and Lomeu Gomes, R. (2020).Family language policy: Foundations, theoretical perspectives, and critical approaches. In Schalley, A. C., and Eisenchlas, S. A. (Eds.), Handbook of home language maintenance and development: Social and affective factors (pp. 153–173). De Gruyter Mouton.
- Larsson, E. (2022). Family Language Policies in English-speaking Families in Sweden: Insights into Bilingualism and Language Maintenance. Accessed 26 January 2024 at https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1685652/FULLTEXT01.pdf
- Little S. (2020). Whose heritage? What inheritance?: Conceptualising family language identities. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 23(2), 198–212. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2017.1348463
- Luykx, A. (2003). Weaving languages together: Family language policy and gender socialization in bilingual Aymara households. In Robert Bayley and Sandra Schecter (Eds.), Language socialization in bilingual and multilingual societies, pp 10–25. Multilingual Matters.
- Olfert, H., and Schmitz, A. (2018). Heritage language education in Germany: A Focus on Turkish and Russian from primary to higher education. In P. P. Trifonas and T. Aravossitas (Eds.), Handbook of research and practice in heritage language education (pp. 397–415). Springer.
- Oner, S. (2014). Turkish community in Germany and the role of Turkish community organizations. European Scientific Journal, 10(29), 72–88.
- Romanowski, P. (2021). A deliberate language policy or a perceived lack of agency: Heritage language maintenance in the Polish community in Melbourne. International Journal of Bilingualism, 25(5), 1214–1234. https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069211000850
- Sakın, B. (2018). Almanya Türklerinin dil tutumları üzerine toplumdilbilimsel bir araştırma [A sociolinguistic study on the language attitudes of Turks in Germany]. Current Research in Social Sciences, 4(1), 1–17. https://doi:10.30613/curesosc.337804
- Schüpbach, D. (2009). Language transmission revisited: Family type, linguistic environment, and language attitudes. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 12(1), 15–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13670050802149499
- Schwartz M. (2008). Exploring the relationship between family language policy and heritage language knowledge among second-generation Russian–Jewish immigrants in Israel, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 29(5), 400–418. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01434630802147916
- Spolsky, B. (2012). Family language policy–the critical domain. Journal of Multilingual, and Multicultural Development, 33(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2011.638072
- Spolsky, B. (2004). Language Policy. Cambridge University Press.
- Spolsky, B. (2021). Rethinking Language Policy. Edinburgh University Press.
- Tabachnick, B. G., and Fidell, L. S. (2013). Using Multivariate Statistics (6th ed.). Pearson.
- T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanliği Yurtdışı Türkler ve Akraba Topluluklar Başkanlığı (2022). Almanya Türk Diasporası Atlası [Atlas of the Turkish Diaspora in Germany], (1st ed).
- Venables, V., Eisenchlas, S. A. and Andrea, C. S. (2014). One parent-one-language (OPOL) families: Is the majority language-speaking parent instrumental in the minority language development? International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 17(4), 429–448. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2013.816263
- Yağmur, K. and Van de Vijver, F.J.R. (2011). Acculturation and language orientations of Turkish immigrants in Australia, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Journal of Cross-cultural Psychology, 43(7), 1110–1130. https://doi.org/101177/0022022111420145jccp.sagepub.com
- Zheng, Y. (2015). Family language policy of an English-Turkish bilingual family in Northern Cyprus: A case study. (Master’s Thesis). Eastern Mediterranean University.
- Zhu, Hua and Wei Li. (2016). Transnational experience, aspiration and family language policy. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 37(7). 655–666.
There are 48 citations in total.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Sociolinguistics |
| Journal Section | Research Article |
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | June 26, 2025 |
| Submission Date | August 16, 2024 |
| Acceptance Date | January 14, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025 Volume: 2025 Issue: 49 |
