Family scaffolding and informal digital language learning among 5- to 6-year-old Persian-speaking multilinguals in Iran: a longitudinal case study

Abstract

While digital technologies are recognised as catalysts for language development, research predominantly focuses on well-resourced contexts, leaving a gap in understanding multilingual acquisition in non-Western, resource-constrained settings. This study addresses this gap through a nine-month longitudinal case study of two 5- to 6-year-old (male and female) Persian-speaking multilingual children in Iran, examining how family scaffolding support structures mediate informal digital language learning (IDLL). Drawing on sociocultural theory, we collected data from mothers through demographic profiles, semi-structured interviews and monthly reflective diaries, which were evaluated using reflexive deductive-inductive thematic analysis. Findings reveal that parents and older siblings serve as critical sociolinguistic mediators, employing affective, cognitive and technical scaffolding to navigate tensions between local linguistic traditions and global digital influences. Notably, the home emerges as a site of ‘digital transnationalism’, where families bypass local educational constraints to nurture multilingual identities through intergenerational and peer-led scaffolding. This exploratory study challenges the techno-centric assumption that digital materials alone suffice, instead positioning the family unit as a crucial facilitator of a child's multicultural development. These insights offer valuable perspectives for understanding informal language acquisition in other non-Western contexts, advocating a shift to prioritise the sociocultural dynamics of early digital engagement.

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