Heritage language literacy maintenance: a study of Korean-American heritage learners

Abstract

How heritage learners successfully maintain their heritage language (HL) and literacy is a significant topic of discussion in the field of bilingual education. This study examines what factors are most closely associated with literacy competence by inspecting Korean heritage learners' language and literacy practice patterns and their literacy performance. Using language background surveys and Korean writing samples gathered from 56 Korean-English bilingual students in grades 4-12 and university undergraduates, it was discovered that participants' levels of Korean literacy were positively associated with home Korean language use and focused Korean language practice, whereas they were negatively correlated with years of US stay, years of schooling in the USA, and home English language use. A regression analysis revealed that the quality and range of HL practice was the only significant predictor of HL literacy skills. In addition, a one-way ANOVA indicated no significant difference for HL writing scores across four age groups (i.e. elementary school, middle school, high school, and college), which implies that HL literacy does not necessarily develop or accumulate with cognitive maturity or length of schooling, a finding dissimilar to conventional native language and literacy development.

Annual review of Asian American Psychology, 2014.

“…Park & Kitayama, 2014) and correlational designs including cross-sectional ( n = 3; e.g., McArdle, Hamagami, Bautista, et al, 2014) and longitudinal designs (Uchikoshi, 2014). Other studies used qualitative designs (interview; Leung, 2014; Wang, Capous, Koh, & Hou, 2014) or mixed methods (C. E. Kim & Pyun, 2014; A.…”

“…Shen, Kim, Wang, & Chao, 2014) and applied research (e.g., evaluating the cultural adaptation of an existing parenting prevention program, Zhou, Chen, Cookston, & Wolchik, 2014). The second is on Asian American Health Disparities (Saw & Song, 2014), focusing on varied topics, such as inpatient psychiatric care (J. E. Kim, Saw, Zane, & Murphy, 2014) and quality of life among Asian American youths (Fradkin et al, 2014).…”

Language use and investment among children and adolescents of Somali heritage in Sweden

“…Generally, these studies have shown that the degree, frequency, and quality of use of a minoritised language are good predictors of the kind of proficiency young speakers will develop in the language (e.g. Kim and Pyun 2014;Lü and Koda 2011). Young people's use of the language will also depend on the wider society's attitudes and reactions to the use of the language and to multilingual practices in general.…”

Modersmålsundervisning, läsförståelse och betyg

“…August & Shanahan, 2008;Elmeroth, 2006;Kim & Pyun, 2014;Thomas & Collier, 1997). Möjligheten att utveckla skolrelaterad litteracitet i ett språk är också beroende av formell undervisning (García, 2009).…”