Early Bidialectal Maintenance among Chinese Heritage Learners in Canada: A Family Language Policy Perspective.

The article focuses on early bidialectal maintenance among Chinese heritage learners in Canada from a family language policy (FLP) perspective. It examines six Chinese immigrant families with children in kindergarten to Grade 3, representing five Chinese dialects (Shanghainese, Qingdao dialect, Wenzhounese, Cantonese, and Hokkien), to understand parents' beliefs and practices regarding maintaining both Mandarin and their home dialects. Findings reveal a consistent language hierarchy across families, with English ranked highest and dialects lowest in importance; however, parents' attitudes toward dialect maintenance varied, influencing their language practices and management strategies. Some families actively promoted bidialectalism, often involving grandparents in dialect use, while others gradually gave up on dialect transmission due to perceived limited utility and societal pressures favoring English and Mandarin. The study highlights tensions between family and societal language policies and calls for more support and resources to sustain Chinese dialects alongside Mandarin in immigrant contexts.