Peer-reviewed article
Well-being of a bilingual child raised with English parenting
Muhammet Yaşar Yüzlü ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study follows one bilingual girl named Amelia through three stages of childhood to understand how her well-being developed as she was raised speaking English in a non-English-speaking environment. The research used interviews and diary entries to track her experiences from birth through secondary school, focusing on her emotions, relationships, and sense of identity. Amelia faced early family concerns about language delays and encountered societal bias against bilingualism, but eventually developed pride in speaking two languages. The study shows that supportive environments help children thrive as bilingual speakers.
Key points
- Amelia experienced early family concerns about language delay despite healthy bilingual development
- She developed pride in bilingual identity and valued English for academic success and personal meaning
- Supportive family and school environments promoted her positive emotional connection to bilingualism
- The study identifies three developmental phases: navigating early misconceptions, realizing academic advantages, and developing critical emotional connection to bilingual identity
- Societal monolingual biases posed challenges that Amelia overcame through maintaining bilingual engagement
Limitations
This is a single-case study of one child, so findings cannot be generalised to other bilingual children or different contexts. The study relies on parental recall and observations, which may reflect parental perspectives and experiences rather than the child's independent viewpoint.
Abstract
This single-case study explores the well-being of a bilingual child. Amelia, raised with English parenting in an environment where English is not the primary language. Using Seligman’s PERMA model and Spolsky’s language policy as a framework, the study examines Amelia’s psychological health and bilingual journey across three developmental stages: birth to kindergarten, primary school, and secondary school. Data were collected through diary entries, stimulated video recall interviews, and semi-structured interviews, analysed using qualitative content analysis. Findings reveal three key themes: navigating early bilingualism amid misconceptions and family dynamics, realizing the academic and social advantages of bilingualism, and developing a critical and emotional connection to bilingual identity. Amelia’s journey illustrates the interplay between positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment in bilingualism. Despite early challenges, such as family concerns about language delay and societal monolingual biases, Amelia developed pride in her bilingual identity, valuing English for academic success and personal meaning. The study highlights the importance of fostering supportive environments that promote dynamic bilingualism, suggesting implications for parents, educators, and policy makers in EFL contexts.