Against the odds: success stories in language maintenance

The Croatian community in Australia, one of the older migrant groups, faces unique challenges in preserving its language heritage. Settling predominantly during the 1960s and 1970s, today's Croatian community encounters numerous obstacles in maintaining its linguistic traditions. While community language schools continue to attract new families and their young children, the declining number of Croatian language learners undertaking the HSC/VCE poses a threat to existing high school programs nationwide. Additionally, the prevalence of English as the dominant home language and the gradual shift towards bilingual services in Croatian Catholic Centres reflect ongoing language assimilation trends.
Despite these challenges, some families have defied the odds by successfully passing on the Croatian language to the younger generation. This paper presents findings from semi-structured interviews conducted as part of the "Social and Affective Factors in the Maintenance of the Native Language - Croatian in Australia" study. Through a qualitative analysis of interview data, this paper highlights the social and affective factors contributing to successful language maintenance. The interviews offer valuable insights into the strategies, motivations, and experiences of individuals and families who have maintained their language proficiency in their home lannguage within the Australian context.