“Fangyan is a necessity of my child’s life”: navigating language ideologies and family language planning in urban Chinese families

Abstract Rapid industrialization and globalization have intensified the complex dynamics between dominant languages and regional dialects ( fangyans ), giving rise to significant challenges for linguistic diversity and language policy. Situated in the Chinese context, this paper explores the ways in which middle-class parents’ language ideologies and beliefs about Putonghua, fangyans, and English influence their family language planning and decision-making processes of Chinese families. Data were collected from 18 families through semi-structured face-to-face interviews and recorded conversations during family visit, as well as two focus groups of parents conducted online. The findings reveal that parents view English as a valuable investment for enhancing their children’s academic and professional prospects, while fangyans are seen as vital for fostering familial bonds and preserving cultural identity. Putonghua is regarded as a key tool for professional mobility, both domestically and internationally, in the foreseeable future. The study highlights parents’ favorable attitudes towards fostering multilingual competence in their children with the association of improved career opportunities, professional mobility, and educational advantages. The findings reveal a critical disconnect marked by parents’ increasing investment in children’s multilingualism amidst a significant policy vacuum. This highlights the complex negotiation of ideologies and resources inherent in family language management. This paper thus calls for policy support at both national and community levels to empower parents with practical strategies for language planning and practice for more effective investment in children’s multilingual repertoires.