Survey of Heritage Language Teaching at UCLA
Survey Format
The survey questions on heritage language classes were attached to the general FL survey of Foreign Language educators on campus conducted in November 1999. Coordinators were asked firstly whether their departments teach, or are considering teaching, courses especially designed for heritage speakers. If so, they were asked to answer six questions at the end of the FL survey.
Coordinators or instructors for 14 languages replied to this part of the survey. The languages represented are listed in Appendix 2, in order of heritage student numbers given in, or in response to, the HL survey.
Several instructors (Professors Kagan, Sohn, Wang and Douglas) have written in more depth elsewhere about issues related to heritage learners. I will refer to those articles in addition to their observations in the HL survey, as well as to details added by instructors in follow-up questions to clarify their responses.
Student numbers include all identified heritage speakers, including those enrolled in courses not specifically targeted to their needs. The latter are typically courses in languages with small enrolments, where heritage speakers are often placed at intermediate or advanced levels of language study, or specialized advanced courses in literature, business studies, cultural studies etc.
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.
