Meaning of heritage speaker | Babel Free

Definitions

Someone who speaks a heritage language (“a minority language that one acquires as a first language but uses and/or is exposed to less later in life”).

Equivalents

Examples

“At UCLA, which is emerging as a leader in the field, separate classes already are available for heritage speakers of Chinese, Korean, Russian and Spanish.”

“Kagan's survey of California college students found many "heritage speakers" wished to study their home language at school to connect with their culture, build their literacy, and strengthen their bonds with relatives.”

“She designed a class for heritage speakers at UCLA that advanced them to high-level coursework in one year by building on what they know rather than harping on their deficiencies.”

“As a kid, my Saturday class was populated by students like me, with parents who spoke Mandarin exclusively at home. But the demographics of Mandarin learners today run the gamut from heritage speakers to those without a familial connection but with other motivations to learn (an affinity for the culture, an appreciation of Asia's growing importance in the world's economy).”

CEFR level