The Role of Heritage Language(s) in Foreign Language Learning

Dr. Tanja Rinker, University of Tübingen

In the course of current migration, the needs but also the resources of multilingual students in the mainstream classroom are increasingly coming into focus. Many studies have shown that the early acquisition of two or more languages leads to heightened metalinguistic awareness (Adesope et al., 2010; Bialystok, 2001; Friesen & Bialystok, 2012), “the capacity to reflect upon and manipulate linguistic features, rules, or data“, Falk, Lindqvist, & Bardel 2015: 229). This seen as a desideratum (see Bildungsplan 2016), especially in terms of (foreign) language didactic considerations, but many teachers seem to shy away from using different heritage languages in the classroom (Amman Fernández, Kropp & Müller-Lancé, 2013). Therefore, the potential of multilingual students is hardly used.

In this workshop, we will explore the theoretical background of the influence of heritage language(s) on foreign language learning and the possibility of using the heritage languages of multilingual students as a means to foster language reflection and awareness for all students in the mainstream classroom. Different methodological approaches will be introduced and discussed.