In the globalized economy, multilingualism is increasingly perceived as a way of maximizing competitiveness, even in the family home. In the United Kingdom, multilingualism has become an asset for nannies, granting privileged access to a niche job market. Adopting the theoretical lens of language ideology, we identify sites and forms of language evaluation within the nannies’ discursive construction of their language work. Using thematic analysis of interview and focus group data with nannies, we examine how nannies represent their English and L1 language practices, verbalizations, and embodiments. Findings suggest that, rather than language practices, it is the verbalization of the symbolic value of multilingualism (normally through the medium of English) that grants nannies an advantageous position in the market. This market is made possible by upper-middle-class families, whose privileging of specific languages and speakers perpetuates eliteness, gendered language work, and problematic approaches to second language learning.

中文翻译：

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伦敦多语言保姆的语言意识形态

在全球化经济中，使用多种语言越来越被视为最大化竞争力的一种方式，甚至在家庭中也是如此。在英国，多语言能力已成为保姆的一项资产，为保姆提供进入利基就业市场的特权。采用语言意识形态的理论视角，我们在保姆对其语言工作的话语建构中确定了语言评估的场所和形式。通过对保姆访谈和焦点小组数据的主题分析，我们研究了保姆如何表达他们的英语和母语实践、言语和具体表现。调查结果表明，赋予保姆在市场上优势地位的，不是语言实践，而是多语言象征价值的语言化（通常通过英语作为媒介）。