Journal of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (Jan 2006)
College Heritage Language Speakers' Perceptions of Heritage Languages and Identity
Abstract
As one of the primary sectors for providing the nation's capacity for less commonly taught languages (LCTLs), the resource of heritage languages needs to be developed and honored (Brecht & Walton, 1994). Heritage languages, however, give way to English quickly in this country. The underlying reasons are very complex, among which are the heritage language speakers' perceptions of their own heritage languages, a topic that has yet to be investigated. By utilizing a questionnaire and follow-up semi-structured interviews, this study explored ten college heritage language speakers' perceptions of heritage languages and identity. The findings showed that they generally held positive attitudes toward heritage languages, though most of them felt identified with English. In addition, community and familial support played a crucial role in maintaining heritage languages. In such a diverse country as the United States, heritage language speakers' multilingual talents should be valued so as to expand the nation's LCTL base and strengthen language capacity.
