Notes
Slide Show
Outline
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The Alliance for the Advancement of Heritage Languages
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What is the Alliance?
  • Individuals and organizations committed to
  • working together to
  • promote the conservation and development of the heritage languages in the United States
  • promote the education of a citizenry that can function professionally in English and other languages


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Heritage language speakers
  • Heritage language speakers include immigrant, refugee, and indigenous groups and their offspring.
  • Their oral proficiency and literacy in the language may range from zero to native level.
  • They may have uneven skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
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Guiding Principles of the Alliance
  • The United States is rich in diverse languages and cultures.
  • These languages and cultures must be preserved and developed for enhancing our world language capacity and cultural diversity.


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Guiding Principles of the Alliance
  • The United States must ensure that all citizens are equipped linguistically and culturally to communicate successfully in a pluralistic society at home and abroad.
  • All students must develop oral proficiency and literacy in English and at least one other language.
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Guiding Principles of the Alliance
  • Americans who have a language other than English as their heritage language should maintain and develop that language as they acquire English
  • English-speaking Americans should study another language.
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"To promote the maintenance and..."
  • To promote the maintenance and development of heritage languages, we need policies, strategies, and resources.
  • We need to develop structures through which we can collaborate to accomplish this vision.


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"Current Alliance Efforts"
  •          Current Alliance Efforts
  • Infrastructure Building
  • and
  • Information Exchange


  • Awareness and Public Relations




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Infrastructure Building and Information Exchange
  • Profiles of heritage language programs (e.g., heritage language schools and other language programs, curricula and materials, resources) Project in progress
  • Information about language policy, teaching, and research
  • Updates on innovation, experimentation, and linkages among different education sectors
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Public Relations and Promotion
  • General public
  • Heritage language communities
  • District and state boards of education
  • Language and other educators
  • National education organizations
  •    Government agencies




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"Future Directions"
  • Future Directions


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Policy Development and Advice
  • Development of and influence on national, state, and local policy related to language maintenance and development
  • Advice to groups seeking to engage in heritage language development projects
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Research
  • First language literacy
  • Transmission and maintenance of heritage languages
  • Heritage language learning and attrition
  • Heritage language communities and speakers
  • Bilingualism in heritage language speakers
  • Heritage languages in mainstream education
  • Instruction of heritage language learners (curricula, instructional strategies, materials, assessments)
  • Policy developments
  • International comparisons


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Professional Development
  • Pre- and in-service training and professional development for heritage language program teachers and administrators
  • Interpreters and translators (e.g., medical, judicial, military)
  • Educators and others working with heritage language communities and learners


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Coordination
  • Language offerings
  • Language-specific curricula and materials
  • Learner assessment and program evaluation
  • Policy activity


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"Community Settings"
  • Community Settings
  • Heritage communities and schools
  • Related social, cultural, and business activities and organizations



  • PreK-12 Education
  • Teachers
  • School and district administrators
  • Local boards of education
  • State departments of education
  • Parents


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"Higher Education"
  • Higher Education
  • (universities and community colleges)
  • Settings for language study, research, training and professional development of language educators
  • Non-government Organizations
  • Research and policy institutes
  • Professional associations
  • Labor organizations
  • Advocacy organizations
  •    Private foundations


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"Federal Government"
  • Federal Government
  • Agencies
  • Legislatures
  • Courts


  • Private Sector


  • Business and industry
  • Private corporations
  • Language services industry
  • Media
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Contribute to the work of the Heritage Languages Alliance
  • Submit a profile of your heritage language     program (www.cal.org/heritage/programs/profiles/)
  • Propose and conduct a project under the umbrella of the Alliance
  • Let others know about the Alliance
  • Serve as regional or local coordinator to promote the Alliance
  •    Interested? Visit www.cal/org/hertiage or contact Joy Kreeft Peyton, joy@cal.org