At a time when there are calls for ‘family literacy’ to be extended to ‘digital family literacy’ (Marsh et al, 2017), researchers increasingly focus on technology as a core component in children’s development and education. For multilingual families, technology holds additional potential, since it can significantly increase the language input children receive in the heritage language (Little, 2018). Torn between research literature warning of adverse effects technology may have on children’s development (see e.g. Atkin et al, 2014) and literature advising of motivational aspects of technology in language learning (Szecsi and Szilagyi, 2012), parents’ ideologies have significant impact on how technology use fits within family language policy (Little, 2018). This session will report on a study with 212 families in the UK via web-based questionnaires, followed up by in-depth interviews with 10 families with children of primary school age (5-11 years old), seeking to explore and problematise attitudes, expectations, and practices among multilingual families and their use of technology to support heritage language development. The study found that, while parents’ views and perceptions of other resources, such as books, revolved around shared and positive family practices, the use of technology was viewed as a means to an end, intended to teach the child the heritage language, whilst at the same time motivating heritage language use, and keeping the child entertained/occupied. These expectations are juxtaposed against an often asynchronous language development among bilingual children, which may prevent them from accessing age-appropriate resources online. The session builds on this juxtaposition by highlighting the need for raising awareness and aiding parents in fully utilising technology to support heritage languages in the home.

Atkin, A. J., S. J. Sharp, K. Corder, and E. M. F. van Sluijs. 2014. "Prevalence and Correlates of Screen Time in Youth: An International Perspective." American Journal of Preventive Medicine 47 (6): 803–807. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2014.07.043 Little, S. (2018, Online First) '"Is there an app for that?" Exploring games and apps among heritage language families'. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, DOI: 10.1080/01434632.2018.1502776 Marsh, Jackie, Peter Hannon, Margaret Lewis & Louise Ritchie. 2017. Young children’s initiation into family literacy practices in the digital age. Journal of Early Childhood Research 15(1). 47–60. Szecsi, T., and J. Szilagyi. 2012. ““Immigrant Hungarian Families” Perceptions of new Media Technologies in the Transmission of Heritage Language and Culture.” Language, Culture and Curriculum 25 (3): 265–281. doi: 10.1080/07908318.2012.722105