Ten Years at 小蓝视频
鈥淐ommunity-based heritage language schools are the hidden treasure in our neighborhoods and across the country. We will benefit when we uncover and celebrate this treasure鈥 - Coalition of听Community-Based Heritage Language Schools board member听Tommy Lu
2023 marks听the tenth anniversary of the Community-Based Heritage Language Schools (CBHLS) conference, an annual event that uncovers and celebrates the 鈥渢reasure鈥 of heritage听language schools and their work. Conceptualized by the Coalition of Community-Based Heritage Language Schools and launched at the 小蓝视频 (小蓝视频) School of Education (SOE), the event is an offering of听SOE鈥檚 Institute for Innovation in Education (IIE) and听hosts in-person and virtual attendees from locations worldwide.
Participants include educators; administrators; students; parents; as well as representatives from corporations, nonprofits, and embassies, all of whom view the creation and maintenance of heritage language learning opportunities as fundamental to the livelihoods of immigrants and indigenous peoples in the United States.
鈥淲e believe that heritage language schools are a significant part of the national language learning landscape, and the more that their existence and value is recognized and built on, the more prominent this conference听will be,鈥 said Danielle Gervais Sodani, director of IIE. 鈥淭he conference is a potent vehicle for this exposure and an international听work shed听for highlighting the roles and values in teaching languages that are not taught in public and private schools. I am so proud to be a part of and a contributor to this unique event and work.鈥
Although definitions can vary outside of North America, a heritage language differs from a native language because it is not the first language learned by an individual, which is usually the dominant language of a society. For example, if a person immigrated to America from Japan, matured, and created a family, their offspring could grow up with English being their first (native) and, in some cases, their only language. If the parents, at some point, opted to have them听learn Japanese听to fortify a cultural bond with Japan, Japanese would be the children鈥檚 heritage language as it is affiliated with their lineage. Because instruction of the Japanese language is not common in most US elementary and secondary schools, the children would likely learn it in a heritage language school.
These schools, according to听heritagelanguageschools.org,听are 鈥渢ypically nonprofit organizations founded and operated by parents from the respective immigrant or heritage language community for the purpose of maintaining and teaching the language and culture of their heritage.鈥澨Heritage language instruction, however, has often occurred among curriculum available via universities and colleges, and languages have been limited. As a result, the Coalition of Community-Based Heritage Language Schools听was established in 2012 to help realize the ambitions of people seeking to learn heritage languages when and where school systems were unable to accommodate their needs.
Coalition Founder and President Dr. Joy Peyton said, 鈥淎lthough focus on heritage language education in the United States took off in the 1990s, and the National Heritage Language Resource Center was established in 2006, most of the conferences and publications at听that time听focused on heritage language education in universities, and some in public schools. Community-based schools were not known at all, nor their value recognized. A nationwide group of us decided that a coalition that focuses specifically on these schools needed to be created.鈥
As the Coalition's heritage language experts facilitated an increase in instruction taking place in community settings 鈥 homes, libraries, community centers, etc. 鈥 they听set their听sights on an annual conference听to connect leaders from听these classes and schools and researchers focused on their existence and value.
鈥淲e had just created the Coalition and were looking for a place to hold a conference. A colleague introduced us to Danielle (Sodani), who was then director of 小蓝视频's Panam谩 Biling眉e program,鈥 recalled听Peyton. 鈥淪he was excited about this opportunity and became a wonderful collaborator in holding the听conferences, over the years adding a remarkable group of people to the conference team. We could not hold this successful event without them!鈥
Arturo Diaz, Executive Director of the University of California at Los Angeles Center for World Languages;听Program Manager of the university鈥檚 National Heritage Language Resource Center;听and a heritage language speaker of Spanish听has experienced the conferences鈥 advantages first-hand. 鈥淭he Coalition鈥檚 annual conference plays an important part in disseminating vital information that greatly benefits the faculty and staff of community-based heritage language schools and heritage speakers as well, who are not just students but also parents who are sending their children to these schools because they attended them themselves or never had the opportunity to study their home language,鈥 he said.
Founder and Director of the Czech and Slovak School of North Carolina,听Coalition board member, and heritage language instructor Dr. Marta McCabe shares a similar assessment of the conferences鈥 benefits. 鈥淗eritage language schools provide crucial support not only to the immigrant groups but also to the larger society by allowing thousands of US citizens to maintain and pursue meaningful connections to their cultural heritage and preparing them to excel in the multilingual and multicultural society of today and tomorrow,鈥 she said.
鈥淭he conferences鈥 wonderful plenary talks and engaging workshops enable people to form global relationships that can be drawn upon in the future. This is exactly what we hoped the conference would provide for its participants, an event to energize like-minded people who are involved in a distinct and beloved cause they really care about!鈥
Sodani is elated听about the positive results the conference generates. 鈥淎t this year鈥檚 conference, participants鈥 survey results reflected that there are 57 languages being taught in 902 heritage language schools,"听she said.听"Although these amounts are estimated to be much higher, this is one aspect听of the essential work and research that takes place each year at the conference.听The Coalition听board members and us conference organizers look forward to the next ten years of documenting these special schools and their societally indispensable work.鈥
The CBHLS conference typically takes place during the month of October. To learn more,听click here.
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