Understanding Teachers of Heritage and
Domestic Language Learners
Instructional Resources for LCTL Teacher Preparation Series
Karen E. Johnson & Joan Kelly Hall
The Pennsylvania State University
Preview Version (Purchase Information)
Sponsored by CALPER, this project draws on the power of interactive multimedia technology and case-based learning to address two significant professional development needs unique to teachers who teach both heritage and domestic language learners in post-secondary language classrooms. These needs are 1) to understand the pedagogical challenges created by the presence of both domestic and heritage language students in their classrooms and 2) to use this understanding to create effectual learning communities in language classrooms containing both heritage and domestic language students.
These Case Studies create a learning environment that captures in rich detail, the real-world challenges of teaching LCTLs to both heritage and domestic language learners. It centers around LCTL teachers’ experiences as learner of languages, their beliefs about language learning, the challenges of teaching LCTLs, and their perceptions of their heritage and domestic students. In each strand, users hear how LCTL teachers understand and act upon their conceptualizations and challenges users to explore their own 
conceptions of teaching LCTLs. These Case Studies organize the information in a way that allows users to be self-directed in constructing their own knowledge, to use their knowledge to address real-world teaching challenges, to develop insight into their teaching practices, and ultimately to enhance their teaching expertise.
These Case Studies are organized into four conceptual strands. They represent LCTL teachers’ experiences as learners of other languages, their beliefs about language learning, the challenges of teaching LCTLs, and their perceptions of their heritage and domestic students:
- Teachers as Learners of Languages
- Beliefs about Language Learning
- Challenges of Teaching LCTLs
- Perceptions of Heritage and Domestic Students
Explorations provide tasks and activities for further reflection and exploration on central issues and common concerns about teaching LCTLs to both heritage and domestic language learners. Links to wiki and blog tools allow users to interact with other language teachers who are seeking to create effectual learning communities in LCTL classrooms containing both heritage and domestic language students.
The design of these Case Studies allows for maximum flexibility. Users can move through on their pathway of interest, for any length of time, and in whatever manner of detail they wish.
About CALPER
The Center for Advanced Language Proficiency Education and Research (CALPER) at the Pennsylvania State University is one of fifteen Title VI Language Resource Centers (LRCs) in the United States which are funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Congruent with the charge of the LRCs, CALPER conducts research to inform foreign language pedagogy, it develops language teaching and learning materials and assessment procedures and it provides an array of educational opportunities for language professionals. CALPER's particular focus is to improve the environment of advanced-level foreign language teaching and learning, and assessment.
The development of this case study and its materials is based on work supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education (Title VI, P229A020010). Any opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Education.
Technical Requirements
This Resource has been designed for use in Mozilla Firefox (download from Mozilla).
Users must:
- enable the Javascript option (menu >> Tools >> Options >> Content) in Firefox, and
- have Quicktime
(download from Apple) installed in order to view the movies.