Innovative Strategies for Heritage Language Teaching

This volume provides a state-of-the-art overview of research and practice in teaching heritage languages in the United States including a wealth of information about recent theoretical and pedagogical innovations that will be useful for teachers and researchers who work with students of various heritage language backgrounds. I highly recommend this book not only to language professionals who want to make a difference in the lives of students from various minority language communities but also to any language professionals committed to improving instructional and assessment practices in language education generally. -- Kimi Kondo-Brown, University of Hawai'i at M noa I expect this volume to become a standard reference for researchers, teachers and graduate students interested in heritage language education. Although it is not a textbook, it can be used for courses in language methodology that address the teaching of heritage languages. It is particularly suitable to teaching because the theoretical issues are illustrated by examples, which makes the volume highly readable and beneficial for a diverse audience. The editors should be commended for bringing to the reader this well-integrated and well-executed book that reflects the state of the art in heritage language education. -- Olga Kagan, Director, National Heritage Language Resource Center, UCLA

Melding research with practical innovations in teaching practice, this volume features contributors who confront the limitations of existing approaches in heritage language learning to introduce new solutions informed by linguistic, sociolinguistic, and educational research on heritage languages.Heritage language (HL) learning and teaching presents particularly difficult challenges. Melding cutting-edge research with innovations in teaching practice, the contributors in this volume provide practical knowledge and tools that introduce new solutions informed by linguistic, sociolinguistic, and educational research on heritage learners. Scholars address new perspectives and orientations on designing HL programs, assessing progress and proficiency, transferring research knowledge into classroom practice, and the essential question of how to define a heritage learner. Articles offer analysis and answers on multiple languages, and the result is a unique and essential text-the only comprehensive guide for heritage language learning based on the latest theory and research with suggestions for the classroom.