Heritage Languages in America: Research: Online Academic Articles and Journals

Links to Other Online Resources

The Alliance has collected numerous links to resources on other Web sites relating to heritage languages. Learn more.

Research and Resources

Online Academic Articles

Arabic Language Teaching in the United States Sally Morrison, ERIC/CLL Language Link, June 2003: In 2000, languages of the Middle East made up only 2% of all foreign language classes offered in the United States: 1.3% Hebrew and .5% Arabic (Cumming, 2001). Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the FBI’s urgent call for Arabic, Pashto, and Farsi translators, interest in the teaching and learning of these languages has increased dramatically. This article looks at the state of Arabic language teaching in the United States today and describes some of the challenges specific to Arabic teaching and learning faced by teachers and students.
Are We Wasting Our Nation's Language Resources? Heritage Languages in America Kathleen Marcos, ERIC/CLL Language Link, October 1999: This article reviews research on maintaining and renewing American Indian languages. A rationale is given for the importance of maintaining tribal languages in terms of Native students' cross-cultural understanding. Then Joshua Fishman's theoretical paradigm for reversing language shift is summarized and tribal and national language policies are reviewed. Early childhood, elementary, secondary, and tribal college native language efforts are described along with Navajo and Yup'ik examples of school-based native-language maintenance/renewal efforts. Based on the research of tribal native-language renewal efforts and current research on second language teaching, specific suggestions are given for maintaining and renewing native languages.
Preserving Home Languages and Cultures in the Classroom: Challenges and Opportunities Lourdes Díaz Soto, Jocelynn L. Smrekar, and Deanna L. Nekcovei National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, Spring 1999
Teaching Spanish to Native Speakers: A New Perspective in the 1990s Cecilia Rodríguez Pino, ERIC/CLL News Bulletin, September 1997

Using New Technology to Teach Native American Languages
Sally Morrison, ERIC/CLL Language Link, March 2003

A View From Within: A Case Study of Chinese Heritage Community Language Schools
Xueying Wang (Ed.), National Foreign Language Center, 1999

Online Journals

Heritage Language Journal
There is a demonstrable need for a forum for ongoing discussion among researchers and educators interested in heritage language education. To meet this need, an online blind-refereed journal, Heritage Language Journal, was established in 2003. It is published jointly by the Center for World Languages of the University of California, Los Angeles, and the UC Consortium for Language Learning and Teaching.

Read the latest Spring 2008 issue, spotlighting Russian as a heritage language.

The Bilingual Research Journal
The Bilingual Research Journal was dedicated to disseminating information and inspiring discussion on topics related to bilingualism, bilingual education, and language issues.

Bilingual Research Journal. (Fall, 2000). Special Issue on Heritage Languages, Terrence L. Wiley & Guadalupe Valdés (Eds.).

Additional archived online resource guides available from CAL

Each resource guide below provides a general overview of a particular language-related topic and lists various relevant resources including print materials, online information, videos, and organizations. Please be aware that these archived resource guides are historical in nature and will not be maintained or updated by CAL.

American Sign Language
Bronwyn Coltrane, Center for Applied Linguistics

Less Commonly Taught Languages
Sally Morrison, ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics

Teaching Spanish to Spanish Speakers
Ana Roca, Florida International University
Kathleen Marcos, ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics
Paula Winke, Center for Applied Linguistics

Browse the complete archived list of Resource Guides