Issues in Applied Linguistics

In recent decades, the field of family language policy (FLP) has expanded in breadth to reconceptualize the notion of family structure and the rich variety of motivations of transnational families. In an age spotlighted by the blurring of linguistic and cultural borders, this study was guided by one overarching question: As a parent, would you be willing to compromise the development of your child’s heritage language in exchange for your child increasing their social capital, improving their English language skills, and becoming a global citizen? Interviews were conducted with three sets of highly-educated, multilingual parents who lived abroad for work and to afford their children future linguistic, cultural, and economic opportunities. Results found that as the parents realized these opportunities, the children’s relationship to the parents’ first language and culture deteriorated; however, the parents took these challenges in stride, not losing sight of the skills their children were currently developing. Further, owing to their positive outlook, the parents considered their children’s heritage language attrition as a temporary outcome that the children could ameliorate down the road, should they so choose.

Gary Barkhuizen,Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Auckland, is a prominentscholar studying narrative inquiry and language teacher education. Withacademic roots spanning South Africa and New Zealand, his journey began withstudies at the University of Essex and Columbia University, where he earned hisMaster’s and Doctorate degrees, respectively. His influence extends far beyondhis classroom, with numerous publications in esteemed journals such as TESOLQuarterly, RELC Journal, and Australian Review of Applied Linguistics. Renownedfor his co-authored books such as “Analysing Learner Language” and “NarrativeInquiry in Language Teaching and Learning Research,” he continues to shapediscourse in applied linguistics with his work on language teacher identity. OnJanuary 16, 2024, he was interviewed by Huseyin Uysal. In their conversation,Gary reflects on pivotal career moments, emphasizing the power of connectionsin teaching. He explores the dynamic interplay of self-perception and externaldescriptions in identity formation, introducing facets like reflexive and projectedidentities. Dilemmic aspects during transitions, coping practices, and theimpact of early experiences on identity are discussed. Gary extends the focusto broader socio-political contexts, highlighting the influence of externalrealities. Regarding future research, he suggests exploring teachers ofmultiple languages, heritage languages, and Indigenous languages. He emphasizesthe need for self-study, addressing ideological spaces and practicalimplementation of identity research in language teacher education.