Response to inquiriy: Definition of "heritage learner"

[Scott McGinnis]

From: Charlotte Basham [mailto:ffcsb at uaf.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2001 2:56 PM

I, too, have appreciated the information on the list.  In response to
Cecile Buhl's question, I would like to offer a definition that I find
useful.  In working with Alaska Native language revitalization efforts, I
have used the term "ancestral language" as opposed to "heritage language"
to preserve the distinction between languages which are widely spoken in a
homeland elsewhere and those which are considered endangered, that is,
spoken only by elders in isolated communities.
I think both terms are useful in defining a range of abilities, from those
who are bilingual (referring to a comment made on the list recently) to
those who are "latent speakers," that is, those who understand but do not
speak the language.
It is my understanding that a non-heritage learner would be someone
learning the language who has no family history with it.
At AAAL earlier this year there was a presentation by a fellow in Florida
reporting his research on the differences between heritage and non heritage
learners of Spanish.  I don't have my notes nearby, but if anyone is
interested I can find them.
Also, Ann Fathman and I have been working on defining how latent knowledge
of an ancestral language can contribute to later acquisition (paper
presented at AAAL 2001).

Charlotte Basham   ffcsb at uaf.edu