Parent interaction in and attitudes towards Zoom-mediated heritage language maintenance: a mixed methods investigation of Farsi-speaking migrants in Australia

Abstract Many minority language speaking migrant families living in Australia are located broadly across the country. Due to this circumstance, computer-mediated language learning, especially that involving video-conferencing platforms like Zoom, represents one way to systematically address concerns around first- and second-generation children’s heritage language attrition. Despite the crucial role of parents in heritage language transmission and the strong potential of videoconferencing in facilitating distance heritage language learning, there is sparse research investigating parents’ involvement in and attitudes towards Zoom-mediated heritage language learning. Mixed methods were used to describe seven Farsi-speaking parents’ involvement in and attitudes towards six Zoom-mediated language learning sessions aimed at supporting their children’s heritage language development. First, the recorded videos of the lessons were systematically analyzed to enumerate various factors indicative of the extent and nature of parent involvement during the lessons. Second, after the completion of the six lessons, semi-structured interviews were undertaken and thematically analyzed to describe parents’ attitudes towards the lessons. Data was triangulated to establish a generalized picture of the types of parental interaction evident during the lessons and the parents’ attitudes toward them. Findings reveal that while parents were consistently present and supportive, differences in children’s agency and family dynamics shaped the nature and effectiveness of parental involvement. The discussion presents key takeaways that can be applied in future efforts to maintain heritage languages through computer-assisted means.