Prof. Jennifer Leeman and co-author Prof. Rachel Showstack (Wichita State University) have published "The Sociolinguistics of Heritage Language Education," a chapter in The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Sociolinguistics (Geeslin 2022).
Leeman and Showstack argue that a comprehensive understanding of heritage language (HL) education requires knowledge of sociolinguistic issues, given that societal ideologies, policies, and practices shape HL speakers’ language experiences, knowledge, and use, as well as their socioaffective relationship to their heritage language. They further suggest that familiarity with scholarship on HL speakers can provide insights to researchers and educators interested in sociolinguistics and L2 (second language) acquisition more broadly.
Covering a broad range of languages and learning contexts, the chapter offers a historical overview of sociolinguistic research related to HL speakers, as well as a discussion of current concerns. These include: the sociolinguistic characteristics of HL speakers; macro-sociolinguistic issues such as language ideologies, policies, and identities; and sociolinguistic research in educational contexts. Leeman and Showstack also analyze the various ways that sociolinguistics has been included as educational content for HL speakers themselves, and they offer specific recommendations for HL educators and curriculum designers.
June 09, 2022
