This project investigates the relationship between family language policy (FLP) and a child’s language use, and it observes changes both in a child’s use of language and in FLP during the transition to the formal education system. The method of input contexts in multilingualism (Ritterfeld & Lüke 2013) is applied to study FLP in multilingual families before and after the oldest child enters kindergarten or primary school . In the city of Biel, language use in children from 25 families with various first languages will be surveyed and analysed at three points in time over a period of 18 months, with data collected in two settings: when the children look at a picture book with one of their parents, and when the children retell a picture story (monologic speech) to a German-speaking member of the research team. The longitudinal design of the project fills a current research gap, as earlier studies on the phase of entering the formal education system and the associated determinants have generally adopted a cross-sectional approach or have explored only individual aspects of FLP.
Deeper knowledge about changes in a child’s language use and FLPs of multilingual families when a child begins formal schooling is of relevance both for research and for practices at school. By applying the method of input contexts in multilingualism, the study sheds light on specific ways in which teachers can ask parents – and the children themselves – about their linguistic background, and then document this information. In addition, the language samples collected can be anonymised and made available to teachers in training and professional development programmes, thereby providing them with a data-driven understanding both of differences in the development of oral speech acts and of the linguistic diversity that characterises the children’s everyday family and school lives. In the process, an empirical basis is created for use in teacher training programmes, leading to more realistic expectations and promoting the acquisition of specific competencies for working with multilingual children. Moreover, it is expected that data from the interviews will provide answers concerning the changes