Sociolinguistic identity and patterns of language use among bilingual preschoolers

Abstract

Bilinguals navigate a dynamic, multifaceted, and intrinsically linked language-identity relationship. The present study explores how sociolinguistic identity relates to patterns of language use among 104 Russian-Hebrew bilingual children (ages 65–81 months) attending Hebrew-speaking preschools. Both Home Language (HL)/Russian and Societal Language (SL)/Hebrew proficiency were assessed. Using structured interviews with a graphic rating scale adapted to children, we assessed sociolinguistic identity and frequency of language use with different interlocutors. Results showed that children with stronger home identity exhibited higher HL proficiency compared to SL proficiency. Additionally, they used HL more frequently than SL with all interlocutors. Conversely, children with stronger societal identity showed lower HL proficiency and in general used SL more frequently with interlocutors. Regression analyses showed that home identity was associated with HL use with both parents and best friends, while societal identity was associated only with SL use with parents, suggesting that home and societal contexts differ in how they influence identity formation in early childhood. These findings are interpreted in light of Fishman’s sociolinguistic identity theory (1991) and Bronfenbrenner's ecological model (1979) by demonstrating that an early bilingual home and societal identity formation follow asymmetric pathways, each associated with different social interactions in children's immediate surroundings.