Understanding the complexities of transnational family language policy

Traditional notions of family structure and settlement are no longer representative of families that are pursuing global opportunities for different reasons. Transnational families are increasingly more common and their experiences rooted in more frequent or intended translocations are different than those of the immigrant populations. One of the key issues transnational families and individuals must face on an ongoing basis is language: which language to learn, maintain, and use. In this paper, we performed a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed academic articles focusing on cross physical geographic moves, families, and one or more components of family language policy (FLP): ideologies, management, and/or practices. Based on this review, we propose expansions (a) to the language or terminology used when referring to transnationals to allow for greater inclusivity within this diverse group, as well as (b) the FLP conceptual framework to account for the diversity of experiences associated with transnational families. We discuss the impact of the proposed expansion on ideologies, management, and practices and conclude with some practical implications.