Survey of Heritage Language Teaching at UCLA
Context
The HL survey was included for logistical reasons within the broader FL general survey indicated above. However it was undertaken within the context of a study of heritage languages on campus undertaken in the fall quarter 1999. That study also included a Survey of Heritage Language Students (HL student survey) on campus, the recommendations from which are included at Appendix 4. Among other things, the HL student survey revealed that students have considerable interest in maintaining their home languages, whether for reasons of identity, engagement with the community or career opportunities.
There are a number of factors working against heritage language maintenance and development. Firstly there is the demonstrated tendency for these skills to be gradually lost across two or three generations, in a climate where English is dominant and little value placed on other languages (Fishman 91, Campbell 2000). Secondly many students suffer as a result from lack of confidence and pride in their linguistic skills, often feeling they are caught between two worlds and fully belong in neither. Thirdly, since nearly all foreign language courses on campus are designed for monolingual English speakers, there is a need for classes designed for heritage students to build on strengths, focus on weaknesses and develop the levels of proficiency they require to be fully bilingual. Ideally this type of class will help to alleviate the problems described above. In this context, the following survey was undertaken.
Definition of "heritage" language learners
A "heritage language" student is defined in this survey, following Valdés (2000) as "a student who is raised in a home where a non-English language is spoken, who speaks or merely understands the heritage language, and who is to some degree bilingual in English and the heritage language."
This survey project, conducted Fall 1999, was produced under the auspices of the Language Resource Center, by Helen Reid, in collaboration with Olga Kagan, Chairperson of the Foreign Language Resource Committee.
