Heritage and second language learners: different perspectives on language learning

ABSTRACT

The current study examines the attitudes of heritage language learners (HLLs) and second language learners (SLLs) about their classroom language learning experiences and language learning in general, using data from high school students who participated in STARTALK summer language study programs in 2014 and 2015. Analysis of students’ responses to survey questions indicate that compared to SLLs, HLLs were less motivated to study their language or other languages, and they were less likely to believe that learning a new language would help them academically and professionally. While further research is necessary to determine the precise causes of these results, it is possible that mixed classes (HLLs and SLLs together) may have contributed. Furthermore, the failure of the language instruction to meet HLLs’ specific needs may have also played a role. Given the value of heritage language knowledge to the individual, it is important to gain insights into the experiences of HLLs and counteract demotivating factors in the classroom.

KEYWORDS:

• Heritage language learners
• motivation
• second language acquisition

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Polly O’Rourke, PhD, University of Arizona, is an Assistant Research Scientist at the University of Maryland Center for Advanced Study of Language. Dr. O’Rourke was the Director of Research at the National Foreign Language Center when this research was conducted.

Qian Zhou, M.Sc, University of Oxford is a Ph.D. student in Second Language Acquisition at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

Notes

1 STARTALK is the newest of the component programs of the National Security Language Initiative announced by former President Bush in January of 2006. STARTALK’s mission is to increase the number of US citizens learning, speaking, and teaching critical need foreign languages. STARTALK offers students (K–16) and teachers of these languages creative and engaging summer experiences, free of charge, that strive to exemplify best practices in language education and in language teacher development. The National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland coordinates the implementation and administration of the program.

2 Korean was first introduced as a STARTALK language in 2015.