31.035 - The Role of Heritage Languages for Academic Achievement: International Research Perspectives

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

These four studies are a combined North American and European effort to examine student language proficiency in first (native) language, and the possible affect this proficiency has on acquiring the dominant language in their society. Linguistic text analysis, OLS - regression analysis, and a longitudinal design were implemented to establish whether teaching in a students’ first language encouraged second language acquisition and learning. The symposium shows that family language implementation in verbal and written pedagogy improves performance in second language skill. In addition, acknowledgement of family language and cultural practices forms a feeling of identity affirmation for students and parents of students, allowing the student to excel using their family language as a base for literacy development.

Sub Unit

• Division G - Social Context of Education / Division G - Section 3: Social Context of Multiple Languages and Literacies

Chair

• Rahat Naqvi, University of Calgary

Papers

• Assessing Bilingual Children's Language and Cognition in Their Dominant Language - Gigi Luk, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Sibylla Leon Guerrero, Harvard University; Sarah Smith

• The Role of the Heritage Language for Writing in the Language of Instruction - Claudia Maria Riehl; Julia Meyer, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

• Literacy Skills in Heritage Languages as a Resource for Second Language Academic Proficiency in Multilingual Adolescents - Joana Duarte, University of Hamburg; Ingrid Gogolin, University of Hamburg

• Exploring Pathways for Parental/Student Engagement in Multilingual Schools: The Role of Identity Texts and Narrative Inquiry - Rahat Naqvi, University of Calgary

Discussant

• Ingrid Gogolin, University of Hamburg