This study investigates language and home touchscreen experiences among children in Chinese heritage families in England. It explores the influence of touchscreen activities on the language choices of these bilingual/multilingual children, with an emphasis on parental involvement. Six Chinese heritage families with 3-7-year-old children participated in this study.
Combining both the digital ethnography and the case study approaches, family interviews (including a language portrait activity), parent-recorded videos, and evolving mediagrams were conducted with participating families. Collection duration varied (4-8 months) with each family. Between each interview, parents recorded videos of their children’s home touchscreen activities. Collaboratively drawn mediagrams illustrated each child's home touchscreen activities and language involvements in an evolving way.
This study contributes to the understanding of the in-depth touchscreen and language experiences of a specific ethnic group, Chinese heritage children aged 3 to 7 in England. By valuing both the perspectives of children and parents, the study comprehensively examines their digital literacy experiences, reflections on the benefits and challenges of using apps in different languages, and the children's multilingual development across various digital activities. Family language policies, parental mediation strategies, and attitudes towards touchscreens influence bilingual children’s varied touchscreen use and language development. While common touchscreen activities like watching cartoons and using educational apps can facilitate monolingual/bilingual development, only limited heritage language touchscreen resources, compared to English touchscreen resources, are used in some families. In addition, I examined how Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model can be applied to understand the complexity of bilingual children’s language development and digital practices.
The findings of my study may inspire parents and practitioners to select appropriate apps to meet children's diverse developmental needs. Moreover, further research is needed to understand bilingual children’s touchscreen literacy practices in both home and school settings, as well as how to bridge the gap between home and school. The use of digital and non-digital activities in these children’s lives should also be explored.
