‘Chinese is at my fingertips’: heritage language practices in digitalscapes

Purpose: The rapid expansion of digital media has reshaped heritage language (HL) practices in transnational families, yet research on networked family language policy (FLP) has largely focused on digital connectivity rather than on how digital environments are organised within family life on HL maintenance. Addressing this gap, this study introduces the concept of digitalscapes to capture the integrated, mobile and relational nature of digital HL environments within familyscapes. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on ethnographic data from six Chinese–English transnational families in the UK, including interviews, home observations, self-recordings and digital artefacts, the study examines how children and adolescents engage with HL practices through digital activities that are both individually enacted and co-constructed with other family members. Data were interpreted through Spolsky’s FLP framework and thematic analysis, with digitalscapes serving as the principal analytical lens. Findings: The findings show that digital environments support HL engagement through real-time feedback, intergenerational communication and culturally mediated experiences, while also enabling processes of self-regulation and identity positioning. These practices are not discrete but integrated, as learning, leisure and communication continuously converge within digitalscapes. Originality/value: The study extends networked FLP by shifting the analytical focus from digital connection to how digital environments are structured and experienced within family life. It provides empirical insights into Chinese HL development in the UK and offers a nuanced account of how HL practices are embedded in everyday digital routines. It also highlights that the role of digital media is not uniform, but depends on how it is organised, mediated and used by family members.