The role of a grandmother in maintaining Bangla with her granddaughter in East London

Abstract

First-generation Bangladeshi grandparents in the UK have consciously taken on the role of maintaining the linguistic and cultural identity of their grandchildren. Through their life experiences, they have built up ‘funds of knowledge’ and skills that they are able to use to promote learning using strategies that are personalised and effective in crosscultural contexts. The grandmothers manage to balance the role of the educator and the grandmother in perfect harmony creating an environment where their grandchildren are able to explore their learner and social identities without there being any pressure to achieve according to set targets. This study highlights the need for all educators to better understand the critical role and functions of grandparents in the personal, academic and social trajectories of third-generation Bangladeshi children within multicultural settings, and the language maintenance of Bangla.

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