Condizioni del nucleo familiare, plurilinguismo e atteggiamenti di studenti con retroterra migratorio in area friulana

The present study explores the potential impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on the language skills and perceptions of students with a migrant background in Italy. Data previously collected in Friuli Venezia Giulia region through a sociolinguistic questionnaire were subsequently analysed, in order to assess the family SES and its possible influence on language proficiency and perceptions of the new generations. Children from higher SES families seem to be more proficient in Italian, while those from lower retain stronger heritage language skills. Attitudes towards languages also vary: lower SES students value Italian more highly, while higher SES students seem to be more inclined to look for opportunities of studying the languages connected with their family roots. Albeit the limitations of the study, the families’ SES seem then to play an important role in shaping the linguistic abilities and attitudes of speakers with migrant background in Italy. Educational policies should therefore consider these factors, in order to better support the maintenance of heritage languages and for a full integration of these heritage speakers into the future Italian society.