Understanding HL Learners and Learner Variation in the Classroom

1. Understanding HL Learners and Learner Variationin the Classroom STARTALK Workshop, 2014 NHLRC, UCLA Maria M. Carreira

2. Warm up Activity

3. Five core principles • Know your students, both as members of a category of learners and as individuals. • Design instruction around the typical learner, focusing on socio-affective and linguistic needs. • Build pathways to learning for all students through the use of Differentiation, formative assessment, and learning strategies.

4. Core principles (cont.) • In mixed classes take strategic use of HL and L2 learners’ complimentary strengths and needs and adapt Macro (top down) and Micro (bottom up) approaches as needed. • Design courses and programs that make linguistic and demographic sense. Build maximally homogeneous classes through placement. Accept and embrace diversity in the classroom.

5. Five core principles • Know your students, both as members of a category of learners and as individuals. • Design instruction around the typical learner, focusing on socio-affective and linguistic needs. • Build pathways to learning for all students through the use of Differentiation, formative assessment, and learning strategies.

6. Core principles (cont.) • In mixed classes take strategic use of HL and L2 learners’ complimentary strengths and needs and adapt Macro (top down) and Micro (bottom up) approaches as needed. • Design courses and programs that make linguistic and demographic sense. Build maximally homogeneous classes through placement. Accept and embrace diversity in the classroom.

7. WHAT (WHO) IS A HERITAGE LANGUAGE LEARNER?

8. Sources of information on learners Definitions + linguistic studies

9. Third source?

10. You: Keep your eye on your learner

11. Definitions

12. Definitions:Who is a heritage language learner? • Narrow definitions – based on proficiency • Broad definitions – based on affiliation

13. Example of a narrow definition “An individual 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” (Valdés, 2001, p. 38)

14. Example of a broad definition Heritage language learners are individuals who “…have familial or ancestral ties to a particular language and who exert their agency in determining whether or not they are HLLs (heritage language learners) of that HL (heritage language) and HC (heritage culture) (Hornberger and Wang, 2008, p. 27)

15. Learners who fit the narrow definition also fit the broad definition ievleva@yahoo.com ievleva@yahoo.com

16. Five core principles • Know your students, both as members of a category of learners and as individuals. • Design instruction around the typical learner, focusing on socio-affective and linguistic needs. • Build pathways to learning for all students through the use of Differentiation, formative assessment, and learning strategies.

17. Broad + narrow definitions = two orientations to HL teaching Linguistic needs (narrow definition) Affective needs (broad definition)

18. Broad + narrow definitions = two orientations to HL teaching Linguistic needs (narrow definition) Affective needs (broad definition)

19. Needs stemming from broad definition?

20. In high school I was one of very few Latinos. My friend and I were called the "Mexican kids". This was always funny to me because my Dad's family always told me I was American. In school I was labeled Mexican, but to the Mexicans, I am an American. I am part of each, but not fully accepted by either. In high school, I was considered Mexican because I spoke Spanish but I was considered "Pocho" by my Dad's family because my Spanish was not up to their standard. It's this weird duality in which you are stuck in the middle. Latinos are often told that they are not Americans but also that they are not connected to their heritage. You take pride in both cultures and learn to deal with the rejection. You may never be fully embraced by either side. That's why you seek out other people like yourself. Socializing with people who share a common experience helps you deal with this experience.

21. Broad + narrow definitions = two orientations to HL teaching Linguistic needs (narrow definition) Affective needs (broad definition)

22. Research What else?

23. Typical learner(from the NHLRC survey) • Has positive associations with his HL, but also some insecurities; • Is a “hyphenated American” (e.g. Arab-American) • Wants to learn more about his roots; • Wants to connect with other members of his/her community; • Enjoys using his/her HL to help others; • Would like to take professional advantage of his/her HL skills (only Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese speakers)

24. The typical learner benefits from his HL along the following dimensions • Peer relations; • Identity development; • Family connections; • Connection to the community; • Horizon expanding experiences; (Carreira and Kagan, 2010)

25. The typical learner benefits from his HL along the following dimensions • Peer relations; • Identity development; • Family connections; • Connection to the community; • Horizon expanding experiences; (Carreira and Kagan, 2010)

26. Peer relations, identity • All my life, I've been around people not of my native heritage. To be in a class with people of the same culture as I am feels inviting and accepting. I am now able to speak to my classmates in a different language whilst making myself feel integrated in my culture (Vietnamese) • During middle school and high school, I felt that my heritage language was not something that I would consider a valuable skill. I only spoke Tagalog when calling relatives back in the Philippines during holidays and special occasions. I only started to take pride in my knowledge of my heritage language after coming to UCSD and joining Filipino clubs as well as enrolling in classes such as Advanced Filipino.

27. The typical learner benefits from his HL along the following dimensions • Peer relations; • Identity development; • Family connections; • Connection to the community; • Horizon expanding experiences; (Carreira and Kagan, 2010)

28. Research on connections to HL culture, family • Immigrant children are generally best served by maintaining ties to their culture of origin. This is because immigrant cultures are the repositories of beliefs and attitudes that are conducive to success, such as respect of family and authority, deference for education, and optimism about the future. In addition, by holding on to their expressive culture immigrant children can retain a sense of identity and social connectedness, both of which are crucial to the psychological well-being of children (Suárez-Orozco and Suárez Orozco, 2001)

29. Family and community(Carreira & Kagan, 2010) Knowledge of my heritage language has helped me outside of school in that I've been able to communicate and connect with my family and the greater Ethiopian community…Knowledge of my heritage language has also helped me at church in that I have been able to understand parts of and follow along in the sermons (which are partly held in Amharic). Perhaps the most important thing to note about knowing my heritage language is that it has allowed me to communicate with my family (especially because many older relatives, like my grandmothers, speak very little to no English at all).

30. The typical learner benefits from his HL along the following dimensions • Peer relations; • Identity development; • Family connections; • Connection to the community; • Horizon expanding experiences; (Carreira and Kagan, 2010)

31. Expanding horizons(Carreira & Kagan, 2010) • It has helped me understand people better, and understand the different levels of diversity we have in our university. It has allowed me to understand who I am and how I relate to my school environment. (Chinese) • It’s made me a more “global citizen”, “a more open-minded person”, “more curious of the other”

32. Five core principles • Know your students, both as members of a category of learners and as individuals. • Design instruction around the typical learner, focusing on socio-affective and linguistic needs. • Build pathways to learning for all students through the use of Differentiation, formative assessment, and learning strategies.

33. Activity time! Activity I, pp. 3-4

34. Latin grandmas: Horsey or mousey?

35. Naming practices: How did you get your name?

36. Living with Spanish names in an English-speaking society • Two last names or one? • Nicknames? • Two different first names? • Maiden name or husband’s last name? • What do you do with difficult to pronounce names? Keep them as they are? Modify them? Drop and substitute?

37. Back to the two orientations of HL teaching…

38. Broad + narrow definitions = two orientations to HL teaching Linguistic needs (narrow definition) Affective needs (broad definition)

39. HL learners’linguistic needs are a function of • The context of learning • The timing of learning • The amount input • The type of input

40. HL learner needs and strengths are a function of • The context of learning: primarily, home -> informal, home register, perhaps non-standard • The timing of learning: early years, diminished or discontinued upon starting school -> similar to the language of children •The amount input: limited, relative to natives -> incomplete knowledge of the HL (missing features acquired later in life) • The type of input: oral, informal, spontaneous, -> implicit knowledge of the HL

41. Typical HL learner (from NHLRC Survey, Carreira and Kagan, 2010) • Used their HL exclusively until age 5, when they started school • Has visited their country of origin once or twice; • Listens to music, watches soap operas, and attends religious services in their HL (not much reading); • Little to no schooling in the HL; • US born

42. These personal characteristics map onto linguistic characteristics

43. A metaphor for thinking about HLLs’ linguistic proficiency • A house in different stages of “life”

44. The foundations(Courtesy of Margot Mel)

45. A metaphor for language learning in children • By age 3, the foundations of language are set; • Between ages 5-8 the structure is fortified and critical details are added • During adolescence the finishing touches are put in

46. The complete structure(Courtesy of Margot Mel)

47. A metaphor for language learning in children • By age 3, the foundations of language are set; • Between ages 5-8 the structure/framing is completed -> TYPICAL LEARNER • During adolescence the finishing touches are put in

48. The finished house(Courtesy of Margot Mel)

49. A metaphor for language learning in children • By age 3, the foundations of language are set; • Between ages 5-8 the structure/framing is completed -> TYPICAL LEARNER • During adolescence the finishing touches are put in

50. What does this mean for us? • An HL learner who spoke his HL exclusively up to age 3 will likely have complete HL foundations (e.g. canonical gender, basic aspectual differences, word order); • An HL learner who spoke his HL exclusively or mostly spoke it between 5-8 will have pretty much the complete structure but will need the finishing touches (fine details);