Abstract
This chapter briefly reviews the literature in which heritage languages (HL) and heritage language education (HLE) is defined and positioned and identifies some of the terminology used by scholars and policy makers to describe notions of HLE. Challenges and opportunities that emerge from HLE practices as they are organized for school-aged children and youth in Ontario’s International Languages Program are described and presented to provoke further inquiry into HLE in Ontario and in other school systems. While each HL context will determine a vision and specific objectives, overall goals of supporting HLE and integrating it into the education system might include strategies to encourage students’ minority language literacy as an integral component of their overall literacy. The next steps for both researchers and practitioners include finding a viable implementation of plurilinguistic approaches that activate each learner’s full range of linguistic competencies through authentic, action-oriented forms of deeper learning.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ambrosio, L. (2011). Enseignants de langues internationales au Canada et recherches en multilinguisme: Un apercu en Ontario. Cahiers d’ILOB/OLBI Working Papers, 2, 125–148.
Ambrosio, L. (2014). Needs and resources in international languages programs: Perspectives of Canadian teachers in Ontario. Les Dossiers de Sciences de l’Éducation, 32, 131–151.
Aravossitas, T. (2014). Communities taking the lead: Mapping heritage language education assets. In P. P. Trifonas & T. Aravossitas (Eds.), Rethinking heritage language education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Baker, C. (2011). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Bale, J. (2010). International comparative perspectives on heritage language education policy research. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 30(1), 42–65.
Chumak-Horbatsch, R. (2012). Linguistically-appropriate practice: A guide for working with immigrant children. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Cummins, J. (2005). A proposal for action: Strategies for recognizing heritage language competence as a learning resource within the mainstream classroom. The Modern Language Journal, 89(4), 585–592.
Cummins, J. (2014a). To what extent are Canadian second language policies evidence-based? Reflections on the intersections of research and policy. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1–10.
Cummins, J. (2014b). Mainstreaming plurilingualism: Restructuring heritage language provision in schools. In P. P. Trifonas & T. Aravossitas (Eds.), Rethinking heritage language education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Diaz, R. (1983). Thought and two languages: The impact of bilingualism on cognitive development. Review of Research in Education, 10, 23–54.
Duff, P. A. (2007). Multilingualism in Canadian schools: Myths, realities and possibilities. Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics/Revue canadienne de linguistique appliquée, 10(2), 149–163.
Edwards, V. (2009). Learning to be literate: Multilingual perspectives, Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Fillmore, W. L. (2000). Loss of languages: Should educators be concerned? Theory Into Practice, 39, 203–210.
Garcia, O., Zakharia, Z., & Otcu, B. (Eds.). (2012). Bilingual community education and multilingualism: Beyond heritage languages in global city. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Government of Ontario. (2010). Available from: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/900285 Revised regulations of Ontario, 1990. regulation 285. continuing education. Toronto: Queen’s Printer.
Montrul, S. (2010). Current issues in heritage language acquisition. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 30, 3–23.
Montrul, S. (2016). Available from: http://dx.doi.org.proxy.bib.uottawa.ca/10.1017/CBO9781139030502 The acquisition of heritage languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press online publications.
Mourshed, M., Chijioke, C., & Barber, M. (2010). Available from: https://www.schoolclimate.org/climate/documents/policy/How-the-Worlds-Most-Improved-School-Systems-Keep-Getting-Better.pdf How the world’s most improved school systems keep getting better. McKinsey & Company.
Ontario Ministry of Education. (1999). Available from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/classiclang910curr.pdf The Ontario curriculum, grades 9 and 10 classical studies and international languages. Toronto: Queen’s Printer.
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2000a). Available from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/classiclang1112curr.pdf The Ontario curriculum, grades 11 and 12 classical studies and international languages. Toronto: Queen’s Printer.
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2000b). Course codes for international languages. Available from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/intlLang_LangIntl.pdf
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2009). Available from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/equity.pdf Realizing the promise of diversity: Ontario’s equity and inclusive education strategy. Toronto: Queen’s Printer.
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2011). Available from: http://edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/policy/os/ONSchools.pdf Ontario schools, kindergarten to grade 12: Policy and program requirements. Toronto: Queen’s Printer.
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2012). Available from: http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesILE/ResourceGuide/MergedResourceGuide.pdf International languages (elementary) program resource guide. Toronto: Queen’s Printer.
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2015a). Available from: http://www.edugains.ca/resources21CL/About21stCentury/21CL_21stCenturyCompetencies.pdf 21st century competencies: Foundation document for discussion. Toronto: Queen’s Printer.
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2015b). International languages grades 9–12 implementation training spring 2015. Unpublished draft document distributed during provincial curriculum implementation training sessions in Toronto.
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2015c). Implementation and training session slide deck. Unpublished but posted in 2015. Available from: http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesCurrImpl/Secondary/CS_IL/ClassicalStudies/ImplementationTrainingSession/ClassicalStudies_Grades9and12_ImplementationSlideDeck.pdf
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2015d). Ontario’s strategy for K-12 international education. Toronto: Queen’s Printer. Available from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/strategyK12.pdf and French translation: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/fre/policyfunding/strategyK12Fr.pdf
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2016a). Available from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/classiclang912curr.pdf Classical studies and international languages: The Ontario curriculum grades 9 to 12. Toronto: Queen’s Printer.
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2016b). Available from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/fre/curriculum/secondary/classiclang912curr.pdf Études classiques et langues internationales : Le curriculum de l’Ontario de la 9 e à la 12 e année. Toronto: Queen’s Printer.
Park, S. M. (2013). Immigrant students’ heritage language and cultural identity maintenance in multilingual and multicultural societies. Concordia Working Papers in Applied Linguistics, 4, 30–53.
Piccardo, E. (2013). Plurilingualism and curriculum design: Toward a synergetic vision. TESOL Quarterly, 47(3), 600–614.
Piccardo, E. (2014). The impact of the CEFR on Canada’s linguistic plurality: A space for heritage languages? In P. P. Trifonas & T. Aravossitas (Eds.), Rethinking heritage language education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Polinsky, M. (2011). Available from: http://oxfordbibliographiesonline.com/view/document/obo-9780199772810/obo-9780199772810-0067.xml?rskey=jCDoVC&result=81&q=linguistics#firstMatch Annotated bibliography of research in heritage languages. In Oxford bibliographies, linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Prasad, G. (2012). Multiple minorities or Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) plurilingual learners? Re-envisioning allophone immigrant children and their inclusion in French-language schools in Ontario. The Canadian Modern Language Review/La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes, 68(2), 190–215.
Prasad, G. (2013). Children as co-ethnographers of their plurilingual literacy practices: An exploratory case study. Language and Literature, 15(3), 4–29.
Slavkov, N. (2016). Family language policy and school language choice: Pathways to bilingualism and multilingualism in a Canadian context. International Journal of Multilingualism, pp. 1–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2016.1229319
Stagg-Peterson, S., & Heywood, D. (2007). Contributions of families’ linguistic, social, and cultural capital to minority-language children’s literacy: Parents’, teachers’, and principals’ perspectives. The Canadian Modern Languages Review/La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes, 63(4), 517–538.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Granger, L.A. (2016). Encouraging the Use and Activation of Heritage Languages in the Broader Educational System. In: Trifonas, P., Aravossitas, T. (eds) Handbook of Research and Practice in Heritage Language Education. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-38893-9_16-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-38893-9_16-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-38893-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-38893-9
eBook Packages: Springer Reference EducationReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Education