Being Bilingual: Perspectives of Third Generation Asian Children on Language, Culture and Identity

This paper concerns a study of the views of their bilingualism of a group of Asian children and young people. Within the context of a semi-structured interview, they reflected on the role of their languages in their lives. They noted, in general, their lack of proficiency in their Asian languages and their parents' (in particular, their mothers') efforts to support those languages. Nevertheless, these languages were important to these children, especially for maintaining the bond with their families and communities. Consequently, these languages were crucial for maintaining the children's sense of identity as being both British and Pakistani. The children thus experienced multiple identities to which their languages contributed, and which, on the whole, they accepted with equanimity.