Families of dual language learners (DLLs) and their linguistic resources play a crucial role in fostering children’s language development. However, there is still a dearth of empirical studies investigating whether bilingual teachers view the families of DLLs and their language resources as assets, and how they implement family engagement practices to leverage these language assets in teaching DLLs. This study examined the family engagement perspectives and practices of five bilingual teachers in New York City (NYC) early childhood classrooms. Qualitative data were collected using online questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The findings suggest that bilingual teachers hold a strength-based view of DLLs’ parents and their language resources to support their children’s language learning. Controversially, they demonstrated a mixture of deficit- and strength-based approaches to parental engagement, ranging from educating parents about English homework strategies to arranging classroom events in which parents could highlight their home language practices. Concurrently, teachers were fully aware of the importance of DLLs’ home linguistic resources in supporting students’ language learning, yet they maintained instructional practices that kept DLLs’ home and school language repertoires separate. The implications for fostering strength-based perspectives on DLL families and strength-based DLL family engagement strategies are discussed.

中文翻译：

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通过家长与教师的合作加强双语学习者的语言学习

双语言学习者（DLL）的家庭及其语言资源在促进儿童语言发展方面发挥着至关重要的作用。然而，关于双语教师是否将DLL家庭及其语言资源视为资产，以及他们如何实施家庭参与实践以在DLL教学中利用这些语言资产的实证研究仍然缺乏。本研究调查了纽约市 (NYC) 幼儿教室五名双语教师的家庭参与观点和实践。使用在线问卷和半结构化访谈收集定性数据。研究结果表明，双语教师对 DLL 的家长及其语言资源持有基于优势的观点，以支持孩子的语言学习。有争议的是，他们展示了一种基于缺陷和基于优势的家长参与方法，从教育家长英语作业策略到安排家长可以强调他们的母语实践的课堂活动。同时，教师充分意识到 DLL 的家庭语言资源在支持学生语言学习方面的重要性，但他们仍保持将 DLL 的家庭语言和学校语言库分开的教学实践。讨论了培养对 DLL 家族基于优势的观点和基于优势的 DLL 家族参与策略的影响。