Cultural Fantasy Narratives and Heritage Language Learning: A Case Study of Adult Heritage Learners of Spanish

On-going knowledge mobilization and migration take place on a daily basis in the globalized world. Canada is a multilingual and multicultural country with a large number of visitors and immigrants. One in five Canadian speaks a foreign language other than English and French (Postmedia News, 2012). This case study examined six-year-old Chinese children’s heritage language learning in a community school from multiliteracies perspective using observations, interviews, and artefacts to understand children’s literacy learning. The findings indicated that Chinese children’s literacy learning was not in the traditional repetitive way but involved multimodal communication at school. Useful implications are made for heritage language educators regarding ways to support meaningful heritage language teaching and learning.

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Raciolinguistic ideology in first-year university (non)heritage Chinese classes

Language Learning in Higher Education ◽

10.1515/cercles-2020-2031 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 491-509

Author(s):

Sharon Chang

Keyword(s):

Language Learning ◽

Language Learners ◽

Heritage Language ◽

Chinese Language ◽

First Year ◽

Heritage Learners ◽

Learning Centers ◽

First Year University ◽

Chinese Language Learners

Abstract This qualitative case study explores how raciolinguistic ideology of Chinese heritage is collectively shaped in first-year non-heritage Mandarin classes in one US university, but individually told by two minoritized (ethnolinguistically marginalized) heritage learners and two non-heritage learners. Their experiences in learning Mandarin Chinese as a non-heritage language elucidate how Chinese language learners negotiate their ethnolinguistic identities in the transnational world. The stories of four Chinese language learners demonstrate how their raciolinguistic ideology is collectively shaped by a complex racialization process while negotiating their race, ethnicity, culture, language, and transnationality. The present study challenges the raciolinguistic ideologies of the institutionalized norms of defining heritage and non-heritage learners as learner-trait terms. Implications for researchers and practitioners of Language Learning Centers beyond US higher education are drawn.

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Framework for CLIL materials for Russian heritage language learners

International Journal of Multilingual Education ◽

10.22333/ijme.2021.18001 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol X (2) ◽

pp. 1-34

Author(s):

Anna Savinykh ◽

Keyword(s):

Language Learning ◽

Language Learners ◽

Heritage Language ◽

Materials Design ◽

Design Principles ◽

Heritage Language Learners ◽

Heritage Learners ◽

Crucial Issue ◽

Educational Approach ◽

Heritage Language Learning

The increasing number of immigrants made heritage language learning a crucial issue of 21-st century education. The neediness for an effective educational approach in this field leaded to CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning). CLIL materials are high-contextualized by age, skills, language, subject content, etc. So, teachers ought to become materials designers to provide their learners with an effective tool of learning. Usually, teachers did not specifically train for materials design. Thus, easy-to-use framework for materials is essential to provide high-quality materials. This article provides a framework for CLIL materials design for Russian heritage language learners. The framework is based on the main materials design principles, heritage learners` pedagogical needs, and CLIL-specific materials design principles. It is written in the easy-to-use form of a checklist. The checklist has seven sections and 32 questions. The framework may be used in different contexts of teachers from different countries who use CLIL to teach the Russian heritage language.

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