Parents as Agents of ›Imported Bilingualism‹. Arguing for Two New Concepts for Further Development of the Typology of Bilingual Families

This paper argues for the need to introduce two new concepts: Imported Bilingualism and Academic Monolingualism. The aim is twofold: firstly, by arguing that the positioning of languages as a type of capital can facilitate a shift of low value attitudes towards the types of bilingualism that stem from the necessity of migration. Secondly, the positioning of languages as an importable type of capital provides direct links with Bourdieu’s theories, which illuminate the reasons for low value attitudes towards own languages in minority communities. In conclusion: the Healthy Linguistic Diet as an approach with the potential to overcome challenges is explored.