Heritage Languages

What is a heritage language?

Languages that are majority languages in other places in the world can become minoritized in a new context. For example, when immigrant families come to the U.S., they bring their languages with them. The next generations may start to lose this language, and this leads to the loss of heritage languages. Narrowly defined, heritage speakers are individuals who were raised in homes where a language other than the dominant community language was spoken, resulting in some degree of bilingualism in the heritage language and the dominant language (Valdés, 2000 as referenced by Scontras et al., 2015). An example of a heritage language may be Vietnamese in the U.S.. Although your family might still speak Vietnamese at home, English is the dominant language spoken at school and in the government.

Another example of a heritage language could be, for instance, Spanish. Spanish is a heritage language for many in America and is actually one of the most spoken languages in America, outside of English. There are about 57 million Spanish speakers in the U.S., and about 42 million speak it as their first language (Wood, 2023). For a large portion of these speakers, this is just their heritage language as it doesn’t share the same power as English in the U.S.

How a heritage language learner learns their heritage language:

Another massive implication of heritage languages is that you may learn the language through your family, but still have more specific language knowledge compared to other speakers or learners. This is because when it comes to a heritage language, you only hear the language in short spurts or specific topics. For instance, you may have knowledge about lots of foods that are prevalent in your culture, but you may not know how to discuss politics in your heritage language. Think of this like learning to play baseball and only being taught to throw, but never learning, practicing, or watching people hit. You probably wouldn’t be able to hit and thus wouldn’t be a “complete” baseball player. Heritage language learners may be able to understand some concepts because you use them all the time, but still may never practice other aspects which could explain a lack of knowledge on certain topics.

While there could possibly be drawbacks, there can also be affordances. “A heritage language can help learners interact with relatives, travel, enjoy popular culture (such as movies and music in the heritage language), and pass down traditions like songs and recipes that might otherwise be lost to time,” (Nynasma, 2022). Heritage language learners are able to have a direct tie to the culture of the language that they are learning, which is something that other second language learners in the classroom might not always have.

The classroom learning experience differs significantly from the home environment where most heritage language learners acquire their skills. Heritage language learners often encounter their native language primarily at home, which contrasts from the structured classroom setting, graded essays, dense textbooks, etc. Consequently, these learners may not practice reading or writing skills in the home setting, as those are skills more used in the structured classroom setting. That being said, due to a prevalent use of listening and speaking in the home environment, heritage language learners may exhibit stronger skills in these areas compared to reading and writing, (Ohio Department of Education). This highlights the distinct learning paths of heritage language learners compared to those of standard language learners in formal education settings.

Empowering heritage language narratives:

Unfortunately, a lot of heritage speakers are ashamed that they don’t know their heritage language well. This may stem from a feeling of believing you are losing your heritage language. An article I have added below touches on the story of a student who speaks on the feeling of shame that may come from being a 2nd-generation immigrant who feels as though they are losing their heritage language.

https://dailybruin.com/2022/03/03/opinion-2nd-generation-immigrants-must-not-be-shamed-for-inability-to-speak-heritage-language. 

On top of these fears, political and socioeconomic issues also arise. These issues can lead to access issues for these heritage language learners. An example of this has been happening in Canada, “Over the past few decades Canada has fostered multiculturalism. However, since the official languages of the country are English and French, it is up to individuals from different ethnic backgrounds to decide whether and how to pass down their heritage language. Since languages connect closely with one’s culture and identity, the choice might be hard to make,” (Canadian Language Museum, 2020). When the language of your country isn’t your heritage language, it can make you less likely to pass it down due to the lack of prominence it holds. For instance, the fact that most business in America is done in English makes it the “language of business,” giving it socioeconomic power that one’s heritage language may not have. These are some of the reasons why a lot of heritage language learners are faced with a tough decision: to pass down their heritage language or to just have the next generations focus on the dominant language.

Looking towards the future:

Despite the fear of losing your heritage language that we mentioned earlier, you don’t have to be speaking your heritage language to be connected to it. “Heritage language learners are culturally connected to a language even when they do not speak it,” (Nynasma, 2022). Just practicing your culture and heritage every day is keeping your heritage language alive. That being said, there are active efforts to continue the preservation and knowledge of these heritage languages. For instance, at UO, the Spanish Heritage Language program targets people who want to be more connected to their heritage language and find a community of like-minded individuals. Below, we have included an interview with a person who is a part of that program that can give you a more in-depth look at the ways that these programs are helping heritage language speakers and learners.

SHLP interview:

(Interview with Loaney)

REFERENCES: 

Scontras, Gregory, et al. “Heritage Language and Linguistic Theory.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 24 Sept. 2015, www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01545/full.

Nynasma. “Importance of Learning a Heritage Language.” Learn Arabic with Nasma, 10 Sept. 2022, nasmaofny.com/importance-of-learning-a-heritage-language/#:~:text=A%20heritage%20language%20can%20help.

Ohio Department of Education. “Heritage Language Learners.” June 2017, education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Learning-in-Ohio/Foreign-Language/World-Languages-Model-Curriculum/World-Languages-Model-Curriculum-Framework/Instructional-Strategies/Assessment/Heritage-learners_june6_2017.pdf.aspx.

Yan, Kurtis“Opinion: 2nd-Generation Immigrants Must Not Be Shamed for Inability to Speak Heritage Language.” Daily Bruin, dailybruin.com/2022/03/03/opinion-2nd-generation-immigrants-must-not-be-shamed-for-inability-to-speak-heritage-language.

Wood, Gabe. “How Many People Speak Spanish? A Full Breakdown by Country – Rosetta Stone.” Rosetta Stone, 11 May 2023, blog.rosettastone.com/how-many-people-speak-spanish-a-full-breakdown-by-country/#:~:text=Though%20Spanish%20isn.

Museum, Canadian Language. “Mom, Talk to Me in My Mother Tongue: Socioeconomic Status and Heritage Language Maintenance of East and South Asian Canadian Community.” Canadian Language Museum Blog, 4 June 2020, langmusecad.wordpress.com/2020/06/04/mom-talk-to-me-in-my-mother-tongue-socioeconomic-status-and-heritage-language-maintenance-of-east-and-south-asian-canadian-community/.