Parental involvement and support for Taiwanese children's English language and literacy learning

This study examined parental support and involvement in third grade children's English learning in Taiwan. In the year 2005, Ministry of Education in Taiwan mandated English as a core subject in the elementary school curriculum from third grade up. This change of policy has influenced many Taiwanese parents' decision to place English learning as an educational priority for their children.;Research with monolingual families and bilingual families in ESL contexts has shown that parental involvement plays a significant role in fostering children's language and literacy development. However, few studies have been conducted with families in EFL context like Taiwan where English is spoken and instructed as a foreign language.;The study specifically explored parents' belief's, values, and attitudes towards their children's English learning and what types of involvement and strategies they used to support learning. Nineteen parents from three different schools from three different cities in Taiwan were included. Data collected included parent interviews, artifact related to English learning, and short teacher interviews and classroom observations.;Results of the study showed that parents expressed strong willingness to support English learning was influenced by their perceived value of English in the global context and in the context of Taiwan, and their own English learning experiences. The study also found that parents shared similar visions for children's English learning. However, the extent to which their visions were actualized was dependent on their perceived English language proficiency, environment in the larger community and society, available financial resources, and available time. Parents in this study engaged children in a variety of activities related to English learning. It demonstrated that parents were active in their efforts in trying to support children's English learning. Similarities in the support system and learning opportunities provided by parents of high performing children are discussed. Implication for teachers, parents and policy makers are also included.