The Negotiation of Multilingual Heritage Identity in a Distance Environment: HLA and the Plurilingual Turn

Authors

  • Nelleke Van Deusen-Scholl Yale University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.36723

Keywords:

distance education, less commonly taught languages (LCTLs), heritage language, identity

Abstract

This article expands upon a plenary presentation I delivered at the 2017 Arizona CALL Conference at Arizona State University. I will discuss some current perspectives in second language acquisition (SLA) which have implications for heritage language acquisition (HLA) and provide some examples from longitudinal data collected among heritage learners who participated in a collaborative program to share less commonly taught languages via videoconferencing among Yale, Columbia, and Cornell. Our findings indicate that many of the heritage language learners (HLLs) had complex multilingual backgrounds which affected both their sense of identity and their motivations for learning the heritage language. I will argue that a more dynamic model of HLA may provide a better understanding of how HLLs negotiate and construct their identities in a plurilingual world.

Author Biography

  • Nelleke Van Deusen-Scholl, Yale University
    Nelleke Van Deusen-Scholl (PhD Linguistics, University of Florida) is Associate Dean of Yale College, Director of the Center for Language Study, and Adjunct Professor of Linguistics at Yale University. Her research interests focus on applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, heritage language learning, and technology-enhanced language education. With Nina Spada, she co-edits the book series Language Learning and Language Teaching (John Benjamins). Recent publications include "Heritage language education in a distance environment: Creating a community of practice" in the Heritage Language Festschrift in Honor of Olga Kagan (2018); and Second and foreign language education (Volume 4, Encyclopedia of Language and Education), with Stephen May (2017).

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Published

2018-09-17

Issue

Section

Review article

How to Cite

Van Deusen-Scholl, N. (2018). The Negotiation of Multilingual Heritage Identity in a Distance Environment: HLA and the Plurilingual Turn. CALICO Journal, 35(3), 235-256. https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.36723

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