This year’s conference will bring together heritage language community and school leaders, representatives from pre-K-12 schools and colleges and universities, world-renowned researchers, and federal and state policymakers to plan and lead new initiatives in heritage language development in the United States.

Keynote Speaker Claudio Sanchez National Public Radio

Plenary Speaker Joseph Lo Bianco Language Australia

Our Vision
The vision of this conference and the Heritage Languages Initiative is to build on and develop the language proficiency of heritage language speakers in our country. High levels of language proficiency among heritage language speakers will assist in meeting our needs in global economic competitiveness, national security, civic engagement and participation, community leadership, and cultural preservation. To build this national resource, we need policies, strategies, and resources. We also need structures through which we can collaborate to accomplish this vision.

Our Goals
The purpose of this Second National Conference is to provide a place for individuals, organizations, and associations to participate in new initiatives in heritage language development.

Our specific goals are to
• Develop visibility and public awareness of the economic, personal, and social benefits of proficiency in languages other than English and of the language resources that we have in the United States.
• Increase the extent to which heritage language issues are part of the national dialogue.
• Provide a public forum for participants to shape a national heritage language policy and to engage in heritage language planning for the nation.
• Provide a forum for information sharing (current best practices and successes) and information building (new practices and funding opportunities).
• Provide opportunities for participants to work together in various, flexible groups on issues of interest.
• Develop collaboration among all constituent groups and a plan that moves us from rhetoric to action.