The role of ethnic religious community institutions in the intergenerational transmission of Korean among immigrant students in Montreal

Abstract

This paper explores the influence of Korean ethnic churches on the maintenance of heritage language (HL) and culture among Korean-Canadian students. The ethnographic and qualitative study on which it is based involved participant observation over a 4-month period, group discussions, interviews, and a questionnaire. Participants were 15 immigrant students aged 13–19, who live in Montreal and attend a Korean ethnic church. Results indicate that these churches play an important role in the maintenance of the HL and cultural identity. It is argued that immigrant students would benefit from being more aware of the linguistic and cultural maintenance role that these churches play and of the importance of taking advantage of the institutional resources they provide: the opportunity to interact with other Koreans, to use the language and improve their proficiency, and to become immersed in the Korean cultural environment.