Getting ready for minority language transmission: Language management preparation among expecting parents in Fryslân

This study examines a previously unexplored aspect of family language policies: namely how expecting parents prepare for language management, focusing on their engagement with language-related resources – books, leaflets, magazines, etc. – to support them in getting ready to raise their children (bi-/multilingually) with a minority language. We collected questionnaire data from 520 participants in the province of Fryslân, the Netherlands. The majority language of the Netherlands is Dutch; Fryslân is home to most speakers of the minority language Frisian. Quantitative data were analysed statistically, qualitative data were analysed using conventional qualitative content analysis. Findings show that most participants decided what language(s) to transmit prior to pregnancy. Furthermore, expecting parents who ultimately ended up transmitting Frisian were more aware of, and used more, resources than parents who ultimately did not transmit Frisian. The former also indicated a desire for additional resources to support bilingual (Dutch-Frisian) child-rearing and Frisian transmission. The paper discusses the study’s implications for policy and planning aiming to promote the intergenerational transmission of Frisian, and thereby promoting its maintenance and revitalisation.