Browsing by Author "Cohen, C."

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    Constructing a bilingual French-English habitus through language experience: a socialisation account from children attending a bilingual programme at a state school in France
    (Routledge, 2023-06-11) Ghimenton, A.; Cohen, C.; Minniear, Jacob Neal
    We investigate bilingual habitus and socialisation in 49 French-English bilinguals (aged 5;9–11;00) attending a French school with a bilingual programme in France, from three family profiles: two Anglophone parents (EE); one Anglophone and one Francophone parent (EF); two Francophone parents (FF). Data come from parent questionnaires and child and parent interviews. Quantitative analyses explored current declared language practices between children and mothers, fathers, siblings and peers in each profile. Qualitative analyses of one representative sample case per profile honed the socialisation trajectories from birth. Findings showed that international mobility impacted the relation between language and place in the three profiles differentially, yet all valued English maintenance. Moreover, the language which felt ‘natural’ contrasted in EE and FF families. Using French at home felt unnatural for EE parents whilst for FF parents, using English in family interactions felt natural and necessary for family socialisation in the Anglophone host country. We analyse the factors accounting for children’s bilingual habitus and question the contribution of English prestige, children’s school and families’ strong affective attachment to English as a heritage language or a language acquired through mobility. New insights into the complexity of bilingual habitus and socialisation are discussed within the French school system.
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    Exploring how language exposure shapes oral narrative skills in French-English emergent bilingual first graders
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2021-06) Cohen, C.; Bauer, E.; Minniear, Jacob
    This study explores how language exposure may shape oral narrative skills in three first grade French-English emergent bilinguals attending an international programme at a state school in France. The students come from three different home language backgrounds (English dominant; French dominant; both French and English). Parent questionnaires provide information on current and cumulative exposure and home literacy practices. Spontaneous oral narratives are elicited in French and English. Microstructure, macrostructure, and narrative quality analyses show that while one language may appear to be dominant, notably for certain microstructure skills, performance in other areas may be superior in the other language. The study highlights how different actors’ agency (children, parents, siblings, teachers) may contribute to language learning trajectories and outcomes, steering dual language acquisition. For teachers, the study reiterates the complexity of language learning and the need to diversify activities to ensure that students are processing and producing language appropriately.