Heritage Language Loss in Multilingual Migrant Families: AQualitative Study of Kerala Christian Diaspora Households

Abstract

This qualitative research is an attempt to explore heritage language loss in Kerala Christian migrant families in Western and Middle Eastern areas. Although researchers have previously recorded intergenerational language shift among immigrant populations, little has been recorded on faith-based South Indian diasporic families and the interaction of family language policy, type of migration, and institutionalized religious behavior. To fill this gap, the paper relies on semi-structured interviews with twenty-four families and uses thematic analysis to understand the
language preferences of parents, the practices of church language, generational communication, and identity change. Results indicate that English is an aspirational linguistic capital, which hastens intergenerational change, especially in long-term permanent Western migration situations. Nonetheless, organized home-based policies, religious reinforcement, and the involvement of grandparents have led to moderate erosion. The research adds to the body of scholarship in family language policy in establishing the ways in which religious institutions may act as preservation agents and as causes of heritage language loss. The results complement existing studies on the topic of diaspora multilingualism by anticipating the sociocultural dynamics of Kerala Christian migrant families and identifying future directions in them maintenance of bilingual sustainability.