Raising Turkish–English bilingual children in Turkey: A qualitative study of parental attitudes, beliefs, and utilized strategies

Abstract

Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to explore Turkish parents’ attitudes, beliefs, and strategies while raising their children as Turkish-English bilinguals. Design/Method/Approach: The qualitative research design was adopted. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were carried out via the Zoom platform with the participation of eight volunteers across Turkey. Data Analysis: The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed following the content analysis. The author analyzed on his own. Codes were obtained from the data in the transcripts, categories associated with these codes were formed, and themes were created. Findings/Conclusion: The results show that parents are in favor of raising their children as bilinguals and they are the ultimate decision-makers. In addition to relying on their knowledge mainly, they make use of books and cartoons to support the process. They utilize intentional bilingualism and mostly prefer the one-person-one language (OPOL) strategy. Originality: The study focused on the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of parents while raising their children as bilingual. It is one of the very fewest studies carried out in the local context, in Turkey. Significance/implications: The study will provide parents with an overview of the beliefs and used strategies in raising a bilingual child. The study will also be useful for parents who want to raise their kids as bilinguals, particularly in a monolingual country.