Our Mission
The mission of the Alliance is to promote the maintenance and development of heritage languages for the benefit of individuals, communities, and society.
To accomplish this mission, the Alliance provides leadership, supports collaboration, and promotes information sharing to foster heritage language maintenance and education and the development of language abilities in heritage language speakers.
Alliance activities include information exchange through our Web site and email discussion list ; research on heritage language programs; definition of heritage language issues; policy statements and advice; and professional development for teachers.
Founding Heritage Languages Initiative Advisory Board Members
Richard Brecht
Center for the Advanced Study of Language
Donna Christian
Center for Applied Linguistics
Joshua Fishman
Stanford and Yeshiva Universities
Mary McGroarty
Northern Arizona University
G. Richard Tucker
Carnegie Mellon University
Guadalupe Valdés
Stanford University
About Us
About Our Work |
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Core Principles |
Learn more about the Alliance's fundamental principles. |
Focus of Our Work |
Learn more about the Alliance's |
About Our Team |
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Alliance Steering Committee |
The Alliance has gathered leaders in the field to guide the work of the Alliance. Learn more. |
Alliance Staff |
Learn more about the staff that implement core Alliance activities. |
Alliance Advisors |
Alliance Advisors are leaders in the field committed to furthering the work of the Alliance. Learn more. |
Partner Organizations |
Learn more about the organizations supporting the Alliance through financial and in-kind contributions and networking. |
Language Representatives |
Learn more about the individuals supporting the Alliance through significant contributions relating to a specific language or language group. |
Get Involved |
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The Alliance News Flash is our quarterly electronic newsletter that provides updates and news of interest to the heritage language community. |
Read the NewsletterHistory of the Alliance for the Advancement of Heritage Languages
Developing a strong knowledge base is crucial to effective heritage language policies and practices. No one was more committed to this goal than Russ Campbell, who organized a series of meetings to discuss what is known about heritage language maintenance, development, and revitalization and what needs to be investigated. With the momentum that Russ created, a founding Advisory Board (see right) came together to support the first national Heritage Languages in America Conference, Heritage Languages in America, hosted by California State University, Long Beach, October 14-16, 1999.
A year later, The Heritage Language Research Priorities Conference was held at UCLA, September 21-23, 2000.
The Second National Heritage Languages Conference was held October 18-20, 2002 in the Washington, DC area. After this conference, The Alliance for the Advancement of Heritage Languages was officially established.
