scholarly journals Identities Development of Adult Chinese Heritage Language Learners from Southeast Asian American Families

Author(s):  
Feng Liang
2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lihua Zhang

This preliminary study investigates beginning college Chinese heritage language learners (CHLLs)’ implicit knowledge of compound sentences with pairs of correlatives. Drawing on Valdés’s (2005) categorization of HLLs as L1 speakers and HLLs as L1/L2 users, the study examines CHLLs’ ability to comprehend compound sentences with pairs of correlatives, as well as their comprehension level as compared to native Chinese language speakers and Chinese foreign language learners (CFLLs). The study also examines the characteristics of CHLLs’ implicit knowledge of compound sentences. The data was collected using an acceptability judgment task. The CHL subjects’ overall performance was somewhere between that of native speakers and CFLLs who had studied Chinese for two years. Their performance shows that their comprehension of compound sentences acquired before the onset of learning English at the age of 4 or 5 was retained and even somewhat developed. This is because CHL subjects still received some amount of input from home and community Chinese schools even though they favored English over Chinese. The findings on CHLLs’ linguistic habitus can inform and frame CHLLappropriate pedagogies that exploit their implicit knowledge and systematically build on it.


2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-46
Author(s):  
Heather Weger-Guntharp

While defining a heritage language (HL) learner is problematic, it is critical for how HL issues are framed. Underrepresented in the discussion are those learners who identify the HL as key to their development of self identity while having limited exposure to the HL in the home environment. This study investigates such students in the context of first semester Chinese classes at a U.S. university and draws on theories of motivation, HL learning, and social identity. Results suggest that a learner’s heritage is an important factor in that it affects the construction of a language learner’s identity and the coconstruction of motivation, and influences attitudes towards classroom activities. The study found that the complexity of individual backgrounds problematizes the identification of HL learners based on their home-language use or place of birth. Finally, the data reveal a HL learner classroom profile consisting of at least three interwoven components (self, teacher, and peer).


2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-46
Author(s):  
Heather Weger-Guntharp

While defining a heritage language (HL) learner is problematic, it is critical for how HL issues are framed. Underrepresented in the discussion are those learners who identify the HL as key to their development of self identity while having limited exposure to the HL in the home environment. This study investigates such students in the context of first semester Chinese classes at a U.S. university and draws on theories of motivation, HL learning, and social identity. Results suggest that a learner’s heritage is an important factor in that it affects the construction of a language learner’s identity and the coconstruction of motivation, and influences attitudes towards classroom activities. The study found that the complexity of individual backgrounds problematizes the identification of HL learners based on their home-language use or place of birth. Finally, the data reveal a HL learner classroom profile consisting of at least three interwoven components (self, teacher, and peer).


2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Jia

This paper examines how the development of print literacy practices was approached at a Chinese heritage language school in the Southwest of the United States. More specifically, it investigates the roles of instructors and parents in the development of literacy among heritage language learners of Mandarin. The study explores two contrasting approaches to literacy instruction which occurred in both the classrooms and homes of the learners, where many literacy activities took place. The findings indicate that the learners’ literacy development was determined by many factors, such as the instructors’ and the parents’ own learning experiences, their perspectives on literacy, and the approaches they adopted in both classroom and home settings. The study also reveals that instructors and parents conceptualized an important link between socializing the learners into traditional Chinese values and the promotion of their literacy development.


2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 314-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ka Wong ◽  
Yang Xiao

The goal of this study is to explore the identity constructions of Chinese heritage language students from dialect backgrounds. Their experiences in learning Mandarin as a “heritage” language—even though it is spoken neither at home nor in their immediate communities—highlight how identities are produced, processed, and practiced in our postmodern world. Based on 64 interviews with Mandarin learners from various Chinese dialect backgrounds, we present their identity issues in three conceptual categories: imagined community, linguistic hegemony, and language investment. The findings lead us to rethink our pedagogical emphasis to better attend to the concerns of the dialect speakers, and hopefully, to make a contribution to the fast emerging field of Chinese heritage language development.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 126 (Supplement 3) ◽  
pp. S146-S150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dian L. Baker ◽  
Elizabeth Miller ◽  
Michelle T. Dang ◽  
Chiem-Seng Yaangh ◽  
Robin L. Hansen

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-46
Author(s):  
Heather Weger-Guntharp

While defining a heritage language (HL) learner is problematic, it is critical for how HL issues are framed. Underrepresented in the discussion are those learners who identify the HL as key to their development of self identity while having limited exposure to the HL in the home environment. This study investigates such students in the context of first semester Chinese classes at a U.S. university and draws on theories of motivation, HL learning, and social identity. Results suggest that a learner’s heritage is an important factor in that it affects the construction of a language learner’s identity and the coconstruction of motivation, and influences attitudes towards classroom activities. The study found that the complexity of individual backgrounds problematizes the identification of HL learners based on their home-language use or place of birth. Finally, the data reveal a HL learner classroom profile consisting of at least three interwoven components (self, teacher, and peer).


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