Abstract:

Domestic language strategies differ in accordance with the living conditions, education levels and needs of the families. Since immigrant families are in a minority position in the country they are going to, they prefer to use the home – outside the home strategy with the instinct of protecting their mother tongue and until the process of acquiring the language of society. As they acquire the language of society and their children grow up with the language of society, they can switch to a strategy of " free-alternation". With this study, the situation regarding the domestic language strategies of Syrian immigrant families was determined. The study is a qualitative research and a case pattern study was preferred. The data were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed descriptively. It was determined that the language in which the parents preferred to talk to their children and each other at home was Arabic, and Turkish outside the home. The dominant language of the parents is Arabic and they adopt the “minority language strategy (home-outside home)”. On the other hand, children tend to speak Turkish and adopt the “free- alternation”. They prefer to speak Turkish with their siblings and Arabic with their parents. As a result, it can be said that Syrian immigrant parents and their children developed a positive attitude towards becoming bilingual individuals and implemented two strategies.

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