1 Introduction

In the context of globalization, the issue of bilingual development and mother tongue preservation for Chinese immigrants and their children overseas is becoming increasingly prominent. This study takes nine Chinese immigrant families in the UK as case studies to analyze the role of parents in their children's English development and mother tongue maintenance, with the aim of providing language management recommendations for immigrant families. Research has found that although the parents of immigrant children are bilingual, their children often passively absorb their mother tongue in overseas environments, resulting in a phenomenon of "loss of mother tongue", especially in reading and writing Chinese characters.

2. Research Philosophy and Methods

This chapter delves into the bilingual development and family language management of Chinese immigrant children in the UK. Research has shown that the mother tongue of immigrant children is not only a naturally acquired language, but also a standard language for social communication. In the UK, Chinese is in a low position and is mainly used for personal communication, while English is widely used in formal occasions. This language ecology leads to limited use of the mother tongue by immigrant children, particularly affecting their reading and writing abilities. The loss of mother tongue not only involves language knowledge, but may also affect cultural identity and self-awareness. Research has shown that children with higher native language reading and writing abilities are more likely to identify with a dual cultural identity, while children with lower abilities are more inclined to use English and identify with British culture.

Bilingual Development and Family Language Management of Chinese Immigrant Children

The bilingual development and family language management of Chinese immigrant children in the UK face challenges, and parents take various measures to promote their children's English development and integration into the local society. They actively communicate with the school, participate in school activities, and help their children adapt to the British education system. For example, Siying's father communicated with Queen's High School to secure his daughter an interview opportunity and successfully enroll her. Parents also encourage their children to interact with children from different backgrounds, such as David's father taking him to the playground to communicate with other children, and Shan Shan's parents inviting her foreign friends to family gatherings. In addition, parents help their children improve their English skills through reading and memorizing vocabulary, such as Siying's father taking her to the library to read and improve her English proficiency.

4 Discussion and Conclusion

Chinese immigrant children face language and cultural adaptation challenges in the UK, with their English proficiency rapidly improving while their native language skills are relatively lagging behind. Family and Chinese communities are the main places where they use Chinese, while English is more commonly used in schools and social activities. Parents' educational background and English proficiency have a significant impact on children's bilingual development, helping them integrate into British society and education system. However, immigrant children face difficulties in learning their mother tongue, such as limited resources in overseas Chinese schools and insufficient understanding of the cultural meanings of their mother tongue. To promote mother tongue learning, it is recommended to use Chinese translations of English works as teaching materials. Despite the phenomenon of losing their mother tongue, immigrant children still maintain interest and identification with China, and family language management should focus on cultivating recognition of Chinese culture and identity.