Language Ideologies in Glocal Contexts: A Longitudinal Study of Cantonese-Canadian Families’ Divergent Paths Toward Childhood Bidialectalism

Recent changes in Canada’s immigration patterns have intensified the tension between Cantonese and Mandarin in local Chinese communities. This longitudinal study examines 24 Cantonese-speaking parents’ language ideologies and practices in maintaining their children’s bidialectalism in Cantonese and Mandarin in relation to English and French. Findings revealed a language hierarchy and a shift in their attitudes towards Mandarin over the three years. These trends were shaped by their solidarity with their Chinese roots and transnational membership. The findings suggest that parental language ideologies toward bidialectalism are complex and must be understood in glocal contexts.