Migration and Bilingualism: Language Identity of a Croatian Family in Canada

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Migracije i bilingvizam: jezični identitet hrvatske obitelji u Kanadi
• Author: Mihaela Harambašić
• Mentor: Anđel Starčević (mentor)
• Committee member: Višnja Josipović-Smojver (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Marina Grubišić (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of English language and literature); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2024, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology; Anglistics

Abstract

At the intersection of sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics, language and culture are explored to determine how the two factors affect one’s sense of identity. A case study of four participants was conducted to examine their experience with living in a new country and having to overcome various linguistic and cultural obstacles, and how those experiences affected their sense of identity. The study was conducted through several interviews, and the participants are two Croatian parents and their twin daughters. The daughters were born in Canada after their parents had emigrated from Croatia, and the daughters returned in Croatia as young adults to pursue their studies, where they also had their own families with Croatian spouses. Since the parents still live in Canada, the focus of the study is on the generational aspect of language identity, and whether language habits, such as code-switching, differ across these two generations. Furthermore, the two daughters and the parents have shown some decrease in their language proficiency, while the daughters started experiencing symptoms of subtractive bilingualism since moving to Croatia, and the parents experienced similar issues on a smaller scale. Additionally, the parents explained how they raised their children to love Croatia as much they love Canada. Moreover, the daughters showed an independent, critical view on both countries, while the parents’ patriotism is typical for Croatian diaspora in Canada. Still, the parents raised their children in a positive manner, encouraging bilingualism and biculturalism since the daughters’ early age, and today, the daughters raise their children in a similar manner. Overall, the participants have expressed their satisfaction with both languages and cultures, and the parents and one daughter have stated that they felt equally Croatian and Canadian, while the other daughter said she felt more Croatian due to having lived in Croatia for a long time and having her own family in the country.

Abstract (croatian)

Na raskrižju sociolingvistike i psiholingvistike, istražuju se jezik i kultura da bi se ustanovilo kako oba faktora utječu na vlastiti identitet. Provedeno je kvalitativno istraživanje s četvero ispitanika, kako bi se odredilo njihovo iskustvo s boravkom u novoj državi i prevladavanje raznih lingvističkih i kulturnih prepreka te kako su ta iskustva utjecala na njihov identitet. Istraživanje je provedeno kroz nekoliko intervjua, gdje su ispitanici dva roditelja Hrvata i njihove kćeri blizanke. Kćeri su rođene u Kanadi nakon što su se njihovi roditelji tamo doselili, a kada su odrasle, vratile su se u Hrvatsku kako bi upisale fakultet, gdje su i osnovale svoje obitelji sa Hrvatima supružnicima. S obzirom da roditelji i dalje žive u Kanadi, fokus istraživanja je na generacijskom aspektu jezičnog identiteta te razlikuju li se jezične navike, poput prebacivanja kodova, između dva naraštaja. Nadalje, obje kćeri i roditelji su pokazali smanjenu razinu jezične sposobnosti, gdje su kćeri nakon doseljenja u Hrvatku počele osjetiti simptome subtraktivnog bilingvizma, a roditelji su iskusili slične simptome u manjoj mjeri. Osim toga, roditelji su objasnili kako su odgojili svoju djecu da vole Hrvatsku jednako koliko vole i Kanadu. Nadalje, kćeri su pokazale nezavisno, kritičko razmišljanje o objema državama, dok je roditeljevo domoljublje karakteristično za hrvatsku dijasporu u Kanadi. Međutim, roditelji su svejedno odgojili svoju djecu na pozitivan način, potičuči bilingvizam i bilingvizam i bikulturalizam od rane dobi svojih kćeri te danas kćeri slično odgajaju svoju djecu. Sveukupno, sudionici su izrazili zadovoljstvo s oba jezika i obje kulture, i oba roditelja i jedna kćer su izjavili da se osjećaju jednako Hrvatima koliko i Kanađanima, dok je druga kćer izjavila da se osjeća više kao Hrvatica jer živi u Hrvatskoj mnogo godina i u toj državi je zasnovala svoju obitelj.

• Keywords: bilingualism; biculturalism; code-switching; Croatia; Canada
• Keywords (croatian): bilingvizam; bikulturalizam; prebacivanje kodova; Hrvatska; Kanada
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:965207
• Study programme: Title: English Language and Literature (double major); specializations in: Linguistics, Literature and Culture, Translation, TEFL; Course: Linguistics; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti (magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-05-03 09:05:07