Teachers’ beliefs and classroom practices related to students’ heritage language and culture

During the 2013-2014 school year, approximately 5 million students in U.S. public schools (K-12) were heritage language speakers (HLSs), which represented almost 10% of total enrollment. The HLS population is expected to keep growing for the next decade (National Education Association, 2011). Teachers play a critical role in the learning and teaching process of students. Teachers’ beliefs and classroom practices toward children’s maintenance of heritage language and culture can have a powerful influence on HLSs’ beliefs and their performance. Researchers have found several factors can predict teachers’ beliefs about students’ heritage language maintenance, including teachers’ personal beliefs and education background, years of teaching experiences, English as second language (ESL) training, and ability to speak another language (Szecsi et al., 2015; Pettit, 2011; Lee & Oxelson, 2006; Garca-Nevarez et al., 2005, Byrnes, Kiger, & Manning, 1997). This study used interviews, observations, and a survey to explore elementary teacher’s beliefs and classroom practices in supporting students’ heritage language and culture. Results showed that teachers believed it was important to maintain HLSs’ heritage language. Schools and teachers were also implementing different stategies and practices to incorporate students’ heritage language and culture in classrooms. However, schools and teachers all faced challenges in meeting the needs of HLSs. Factors that contibute to teachers’ beliefs and classroom practices toward maintaining their students’ heritage langauge and culture were also investigated

Understanding home language use in Chinese families who are living in the United States

More than half the world\u27s population is bilingual (Faroqi-Shah et al, 2010), and more than 55 million people in the U.S. are bilingual (Grosjean, 2012). However, many U.S. immigrants will become monolingual in English instead of remaining monolingual in their home language or becoming bilingual (Grosjean, 2012). Several experts have mentioned that there are programs that can foster dual language learning and encourage children to maintain their home language (Tabors, 2008; Zelasko & Antunez, 2000; Cunningham-Andersson & Andersson, 2011), but little research about how to inform families of the benefits of these programs and support them in maintaining their home languages is available. There is a lack of research about how families from groups who speak a home language other than English maintain their home language in the U.S. More needs to be known in order to support families who speak non-English languages. This study focuses on Chinese families, the largest Asian group living in U.S., to understand more about how families help their children maintain their home languages. This thesis study used an online survey to explore parents\u27 attitudes toward and strategies for maintaining children\u27s home language among Chinese who are living in the U.S. The study revealed that an overwhelming number of Chinese parents strongly agreed that it would be important to teach their children their home language. However, parents had differing opinions regarding whether maintaining their children\u27s home language was related to maintaining their home culture and the benefit to their children\u27s future careers. Parents reported experiences and strategies used in supporting their children\u27s home language development. Future research and implications for supporting families were also suggested

Triadic Interactions in MIECHV: Relations to Home Visit Quality

Objectives This study was conducted to look inside home visits to examine active intervention ingredients used and their relations with ratings of home visit quality. In particular, triadic interactions that engage the home visitor, parent, and child together and provide a context for home visitors to facilitate parent-child interactions by observing, modeling and coaching behaviors that promote optimal child development were examined. Methods Observations were conducted to describe intervention activities (with the HVOF-R) and rate quality of home visit practices and engagement (with the HOVRS A+). Results Analyses revealed the majority of home visit time (71%) was spent in home visitor-parent interactions with only a small proportion of home visit time (17%) spent in triadic interactions and an even smaller proportion of time (2%) during which home visitors actively coached parent-child interactions. Amount of time spent in triadic interactions was related positively to quality ratings of home visit practices and engagement. Moreover, time spent coaching parent-child interactions uniquely predicted home visit quality after accounting for visit length and home visitor time spent observing and modeling. Conclusions for Practice Increasing the percentage of home visitors engage the parent and child in triadic interaction should be a focus for home visiting programs. Home visitors will likely need professional development and supervisory support to enhance their skills in coaching parent-child interactions during triadic interactions

Understanding home language use in Chinese families who are living in the United States

More than half the world's population is bilingual (Faroqi-Shah et al, 2010), and more than 55 million people in the U.S. are bilingual (Grosjean, 2012). However, many U.S. immigrants will become monolingual in English instead of remaining monolingual in their home language or becoming bilingual (Grosjean, 2012). Several experts have mentioned that there are programs that can foster dual language learning and encourage children to maintain their home language (Tabors, 2008; Zelasko & Antunez, 2000; Cunningham-Andersson & Andersson, 2011), but little research about how to inform families of the benefits of these programs and support them in maintaining their home languages is available. There is a lack of research about how families from groups who speak a home language other than English maintain their home language in the U.S. More needs to be known in order to support families who speak non-English languages. This study focuses on Chinese families, the largest Asian group living in U.S., to understand more about how families help their children maintain their home languages. This thesis study used an online survey to explore parents' attitudes toward and strategies for maintaining children's home language among Chinese who are living in the U.S. The study revealed that an overwhelming number of Chinese parents strongly agreed that it would be important to teach their children their home language. However, parents had differing opinions regarding whether maintaining their children's home language was related to maintaining their home culture and the benefit to their children's future careers. Parents reported experiences and strategies used in supporting their children's home language development. Future research and implications for supporting families were also suggested.</p

Teachers’ beliefs and classroom practices related to students’ heritage language and culture

During the 2013-2014 school year, approximately 5 million students in U.S. public schools (K-12) were heritage language speakers (HLSs), which represented almost 10% of total enrollment. The HLS population is expected to keep growing for the next decade (National Education Association, 2011). Teachers play a critical role in the learning and teaching process of students. Teachers’ beliefs and classroom practices toward children’s maintenance of heritage language and culture can have a powerful influence on HLSs’ beliefs and their performance. Researchers have found several factors can predict teachers’ beliefs about students’ heritage language maintenance, including teachers’ personal beliefs and education background, years of teaching experiences, English as second language (ESL) training, and ability to speak another language (Szecsi et al., 2015; Pettit, 2011; Lee & Oxelson, 2006; Garca-Nevarez et al., 2005, Byrnes, Kiger, & Manning, 1997). This study used interviews, observations, and a survey to explore elementary teacher’s beliefs and classroom practices in supporting students’ heritage language and culture. Results showed that teachers believed it was important to maintain HLSs’ heritage language. Schools and teachers were also implementing different stategies and practices to incorporate students’ heritage language and culture in classrooms. However, schools and teachers all faced challenges in meeting the needs of HLSs. Factors that contibute to teachers’ beliefs and classroom practices toward maintaining their students’ heritage langauge and culture were also investigated.</p